GHOST stories took a backseat during the two-day “Undas” in Angeles City. An expensive burial place turned rest house at the Holy Mary Memorial Park was the talk of the day.

The three-storey dwelling cum “puntod” inside the high end cemetery, the object of rumors and curiosity since five years ago, is owned by businessman Dan Concepcion, a close friend and supporter of mayoralty aspirant Edgardo Pamintuan. Today, the rest house continues to catch public amazement and raised eyebrows.

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The object of wonder has turned into a policy problem for the memorial park owners who would be facing similar requests from lot owners. They may want to erect their own rest houses, whether tent-like structures or shoddy enclosures for their leisure or for other practical purposes.

One lot owner (eight lots) is businessman Romy Yusi who wants to replicate the Concepcion architectural novelty. He is emboldened by the infectious precedent set by the house-grave builder from California.

Other local residents who had learned of the unique mini-bungalow with complete amenities thought of doing similar construction atop their lots, Yusi said.

With the original creation as a model, the park lot owners were told that if the Concepcion can build a rest house on his property there is no reason why the HMMP management will refuse or disallow similar constructions.

This poses a headache to City Councilor Robin “Bong” Nepomuceno, general manager of the memorial park, who has not built even a modest birdhouse in the property.

We advise Mr. Yusi to visit and read the fine prints of his sales contract with HMMP, and find out if structures like houses atop a grave site are allowed, and under what conditions.

I, for one, dissuade the former president of the Metro Clark Chamber of Commerce and Industry from going on with his impulsive decision to replicate the Concepcion resthouse. What if he relocates a few of his fighting cocks in the premises?

Being a hallowed ground for the dear departed, my friend may organize a tong-its or mahjong session in his proposed resthouse, or perhaps, during his birthday celebration, hold a drinking session around the departed.

Tony Brown, who can only afford to bury his late father at the public cemetery near Holy Mary MP, asked if the Concepcion structure had passed the processes and requirements of the Building Code and other City Hall permits.

Concepcion admitted that his place could make for a tourist attraction. Provided the place has a decent toilet, why not?

I told Mr. Yusi that the grave where deceased relatives or members of the family were interred is called a “resting place” because it simply is where the dead rest in peace.

Making it a human habitat will therefore disturb the sanctity of what is the spiritual abode of those resting in peace. Requiescat in Pace. (RIP) is a warning sign to the living.

I wonder if Secretary Ed Pamintuan, a friend of the resthouse owner had ever visited Concepcion’s model unit if only to lend prestige and hype to the setting.

If he does make a house call on Concepcion at the memorial park, he might even be inspired by the eerie surroundings to craft a master plan on how he and his ally can dethrone his rival, Mayor Blueboy Nepomuceno, from the City Hall.

After all, a cemetery, to a romanticist like Ed may bring him quiet inspiration and hopes for winning votes.

Mayor Blueboy whose family owns the place, may not seek his political inspiration there, but has a reactivated list of the families of the dead for his dynamic City Administrator Mark Allen Sison to contact by séance.

If he is quite lucky enough Secretary Ed” may find at the resthouse the company of Casper the friendly ghost, and probably the ghosts of flying voters.

I would not like myself buried in like setting. Papaano mabigyan nang pahinga ang patay kung may mga talentadong Pinoy sa taas ng kanilang himllalyan na nagtatalo, nagiinuman, at nagpapatugtog ng Shake, Rattle and Roll. This violates their human rights.

The prospect of living with the dead may not appear spooky to the resthouse builder who is obsessed to live in his morbid milieu. How about the people “resting in peace” underneath? They may not like to be disturbed by the noise of toilet flushing every now and then arising from the call of nature including constipated vowels or LBM whichever.