Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

Izzy Lee

ABS-CBN News

MANILA —The Manila City government shuttered an unlicensed funeral home in Sta. Cruz, where it found several corpses stacked together.The Manila sanitation and social welfare departments, police, and personnel from Manila North Cemetery inspected the facility in Barangay 374 on Wednesday following a complaint from a concerned citizen.Gilbert De Guzman, district sanitation officer, said the funeral parlor was operating without business and sanitation permits. &quot;Parang residential, hindi siya usual na sa morgue na may facilities na parang stainless na table,&quot; he said.De Guzman said the funeral establishment was owned by a woman who also lived there with her two children.During the inspection, the woman initially claimed there were no bodies onsite.&quot;Nandun po &#x27;yung may ari, may mesa siya. Tinanong namin kung may bangkay ba na naroroon. Sabi niya nakuha na ng madaling araw, hindi sila nag-iistore dun dahil ano lang sila e, dahil office only, service only,&quot; he said.The team later on discovered a secret door to a hidden morgue where several corpses, each wrapped in white plastic, were found stacked together.&quot;Maliit lang po &#x27;yung lugar, may odor, amoy na amoy. Tapos tumambad na po &#x27;yung illegal morgue,&quot; de Guzman said.Authorities discovered 10 cadavers, which they have since transferred to a licensed funeral home.Some of the bodies were already in a state of decomposition.&quot;Actually, wala silang freezer eh, kaya kahit isang buwan, dalawang buwan, kahit one week lang ang tao, pag walang freezer, nagde-decompose talaga eh,&quot; said Manila North Cemetery director Daniel Tan.Barangay officials said they were unaware a morgue was operating inside.&quot;Matagal na rin sila. May humingi ng tulong samin dito noon, dinala yung bangkay tapos sinisingil sila ng mahal. Nung una naming naano is 70,000,&quot; Kagawad Jose Flores of Brgy 374 said.Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said the city government would shoulder all funeral and burial expenses for the families of the deceased. &quot;Sa pamilya ng sampung labi, pumunta po kayo sa North Cemetery at makipag-ugnayan kay Director Dandan Tan at bibigyan po namin ng disente, maayos na pangangalaga ng labi ng inyong mahal sa buhay pati libing sagot na ng Pamahalaang Lungsod ng Maynila,&quot; Moreno said.Tan said one of the cadavers was claimed on Wednesday by a family whose mother died last April 24, but the body had been held for months due to unpaid funeral fees.&quot;May nag-claim kahapon, namatay &#x27;yung nanay nila nung April 24 pa, so 3 months ago, more than 3 months. Sinisingil daw sila P100,000. Eh hindi naman nila kayang bayaran &#x27;yung P100,000. Staggered payment po sila. Nakapagbayad na sila ng 79, di pa binibigay,&quot; he said.ABS-CBN News went to the funeral parlor which is said to be the owner&#x27;s residence, to try and get their side but no one came out or responded.The two rescued children are now under the care of the Manila social welfare department. <div> </div><div>MORE STORIES FROM MANILA:</div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/30/isko-declares-garbage-crisis-in-manila-1719">Isko declares garbage crisis in Manila</a> <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/1/isko-targets-cleanup-of-manila-0903">Isko targets cleanup of Manila </a> <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/22/manila-eyes-state-of-calamity-as-flooding-displaces-over-1-000-residents-1604">Manila eyes state of calamity as flooding displaces over 1,000 residents</a> </div>

The Manila City government shuttered an unlicensed funeral home in Sta. Cruz, where it found several corpses stacked together.

The Manila City government shuttered an unlicensed funeral home in Sta. Cruz, where it found several corpses stacked together.

Unlicensed Manila funeral home shut down; corpses held for months over unpaid fees

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Unlicensed Manila funeral home shut down; corpses held for months over unpaid fees

Izzy Lee,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 31, 2025 01:17 PM PHT

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