Shocking: Thousands of Bodies Found in Cemetery
Over 3,400 bodies found in Manila cemetery raise concerns.
Image: Franz Miko Verzon
Discovery of Decomposing Human Skeletons Prompts Probe into Overcrowded Manila Grave Site
SANTA CRUZ — More than 3,400 bodies were unearthed from a graveyard in Manila, a discovery that has domestic authorities questioning the basic principles of the death care industry.
"Intelligence reports suggested irregularities within the Manila North Cemetery," Western Police District spokesperson Remedios Santos told reporters. "Our findings confirmed that thousands were buried beneath the facility, with many of them concealed for decades."
The discovery has sent ripples of shock and disbelief through the neighboring communities.
Cielo Hudson, a Filipino-American resident of Santa Cruz district — about 2.5 kilometers from the Manila North Cemetery — paid for her mother's funeral at the memorial park two years ago.
"This is extremely disrespectful and raises existential concerns," Hudson said. "I understand space is tight in the city, but did they have to entomb our dearly departed like they're footwear in a shoebox?"
Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation is expanding its inquiry to include nearby Loyola Memorial Park, after reports of human remains allegedly buried within its 3.6-hectare property. ■
