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Unclaimed Bilibid inmate cadavers like a 'mass disaster' - forensic expert

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="The New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City on Sept. 18, 2019. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/11/14/20190918-bilibid-facade-gc-8660.jpg"/><figcaption>The New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City on Sept. 18, 2019. <em>George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — The pileup of unclaimed cadavers of New Bilibid Prison inmates at a funeral parlor in Muntinlupa City is like a &quot;mass disaster,&quot; a forensic pathologist said Monday.</p><p>Dr. Raquel Fortun said she is set to conduct an autopsy on the deceased NBP inmates this week.</p><p>&quot;The biggest challenge here is how do you manage [the] dead, and you can liken this to a mass disaster,&quot; she told ANC&#x27;s &quot;Rundown&quot;.</p><p>Fortun visited Eastern Funeral Services on Saturday to inspect the corpses, which were stored at the morgue since December 2021.</p><p>During her initial inspection, she found that some 120 cadavers were already &quot;mummified,&quot; which meant the bodies had dried up.</p><p>Meanwhile, about 50 cadavers, which included recent deaths, are still suitable for examination.</p><p>&quot;The internal examination of the mummified remains could be very, very difficult,&quot; Fortun said.</p><p>&quot;A full autopsy, I believe, would still be possible, especially in the recent deaths. Some of them can still be examined,&quot; she added.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/12/22/forensic-expert-laments-dire-condition-of-dead-inmates-bodies">Forensic expert laments dire condition of dead inmates&#x27; bodies at funeral home</a></li></ul><p>Fortun said she is still in the process of reviewing the cause of death of the NBP inmates.</p><p>&quot;The good news is each body comes with a death certificate, and they are identified and there seems to be a system,&quot; she said.</p><p>Asked if foul play is involved in the inmates&#x27; deaths, she said certifying manner of death would require &quot;totality of evidence&quot;.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/11/12/22/pagkamatay-ng-ilang-preso-sa-bilibid-may-foul-play">Pagkamatay ng ilang preso sa Bilibid, may foul play?</a></li></ul><p>The investigation on the murder of journalist Percival Mabasa, more known as Percy Lapid, led to the discovery of the remains of some 100 inmates in a Bureau of Corrections-accredited funeral home.</p><p>Police allege BuCor director general Gerald Bantag, who is currently suspended from duty, was behind the radio commentator&#x27;s murder. </p><p>Bantag told DZRH broadcaster last month that he had nothing to do with the killing. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/11/12/22/bantag-blasts-remulla-over-lapid-murder-allegation">Bantag blasts Remulla over Lapid murder allegation</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/11/22/doj-on-bantags-accusations-let-us-not-muddle-the-issue">DOJ on Bantag&#x27;s accusations vs Remulla: &#x27;Let us not muddle the issue&#x27;</a></li></ul><p>Bantag and his deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta have also been accused of ordering the killing of Cristito Villamor Palana, a Bilibid inmate who allegedly passed on the kill order to the gunman.</p><p>Palana was allegedly suffocated with a plastic bag by members of his own gang. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/29/22/percy-lapid-slay-middleman-died-from-plastic-bag-suffocation-re-autopsy">Percy Lapid slay &#x27;middleman&#x27; died from plastic bag suffocation: second autopsy</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2340263" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div><strong>— With reports from Davinci Maru, ABS-CBN News; Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

The pileup of unclaimed cadavers of Bilibid inmates at a funeral parlor in Muntinlupa is like a 'mass disaster,' a forensic pathologist said Monday.