At a press briefing, Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. quoted Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery Sec. Panfilo Lacson as saying that national government agencies are “working closely” with the Tacloban City government to “speed up” the burial of the bodies.
Lacson specifically said the Department of Health has already sent 1,500 body bags and protective kits for personnel in charge of the burial.
On the other hand, the Department of Public Works and Highways has sent additional backhoes and payloaders while the National Bureau of Investigation has redeployed its forensic team on the ground.
“So ginagawa na po ito sa pamamagitan ng puspusang pagtutulungan ng DOH, NBI, DPWH at kanilang pakikipag-ugnayan sa Tacloban City government,” said Coloma.
Agence France-Presse earlier reported that about 1,400 rotting corpses in black body bags are laying on a muddy open field in Tacloban in Leyte province, more than a month after super typhoon Yolanda hit central Philippines on Nov. 8.
Coloma said there was a delay in their burial because of problems in the procedure in identifying the bodies.
He explained it was taking longer because they were following the INTERPOL way of identifying cadavers, which he said was designed for victims of crimes and therefore takes longer.
“So they threshed it out… kung paano makakapag-comply doon and at the same time mas… mapabilis ng konti iyong kanilang procedure,” he said. — KBK, GMA News
