Friday, August 15, 2008 Wait for NBI call for matching results: Interpol to victims' kin
WAIT for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to contact you, a team of experts advised families raring to claim the bodies of those who died when a Sulpicio vessel sank last June 21.
The Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team in Cebu is awaiting the release of the DNA matching results so it can start contacting families about the positive matches.
While the DVI team understands the grieving families want to be reunited with their missing loved ones, they have appealed to the public not come forward to claim the remains unless contacted by the NBI.
The NBI will receive the results of the DNA matching tests performed in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
In a press statement, officials explained that the DNA matching and releasing of bodies would take some time.
“The entire announcement process regarding the first DNA matches and identifications may take some time to complete due to the complexity of the processes involved; thus, there will likely be small numbers of identifications announced at any one time,” the press statement read.
Should a positive match be identified, the family would initially be contacted by the NBI and requested to proceed to the Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes on Junquera St., Cebu City.
Families should bring official identification documents, such as marriage certificates, the victim’s birth certificate or any proof of relationship with the missing person.
If the relationship with the victim has been established, the family will be given further instructions at the funeral home.
Grief counseling will be made available in Cebu for the families who may require debriefing before claiming the remains of their loved ones.
Since families would be contacted by the NBI through phone calls, families should inform authorities if they have changed their contact numbers since the day they registered at the Action Center.
Once the NBI has reached them, families are advised to call the DVI team through their hotlines 416-5025 and 253-8730 to confirm the information with authorities. (EPB)
