FILE

Marikina City is reeling after Mayor Marcy Teodoro revealed that human remains were allegedly exhumed without permission at the Barangka Public Cemetery. The local government plans to file both administrative and criminal charges against the cemetery’s administrator and four others believed to be involved in this unauthorized act.

Mayor Teodoro didn’t hold back his condemnation, describing the situation as both "infuriating and unacceptable." According to him, these individuals conspired to remove bones from graves, re-sell burial plots, and exploit families looking to lay loved ones to rest — all in violation of Marikina’s free burial ordinance for public cemeteries. The Barangka cemetery, as Teodoro emphasized, is meant to provide free services, ensuring residents can grieve and honor their loved ones respectfully, without financial barriers.

The plot was discovered only recently, but Mayor Teodoro suspects the scheme is a recent development, as previous inspections in the last two months did not reveal any signs of scattered bones. According to Teodoro, this act is a blatant exploitation of the dead and a grievous violation of respect for the departed. "They’ve desecrated these graves, robbed grieving families, and treated sacred ground like a business opportunity," he expressed passionately.

On the legal front, the city is moving swiftly. The cemetery administrator faces serious administrative charges, including grave neglect of duty, while criminal cases are being filed in the fiscal office against those involved. Mayor Teodoro stressed that the individuals responsible will be given due process but made it clear that Marikina City will not tolerate any behavior that disrespects its residents or their departed loved ones.

"This isn’t just about breaking rules; it’s about violating trust, disrupting peace, and failing to respect the memory of those we’ve lost," he added, reaffirming Marikina’s commitment to honor and protect every family and individual laid to rest within its public cemeteries.