Thursday, August 28, 2008 DVI exhumes bodies of fishers By Elisabeth P. Baumgart Sun.Star Correspondent
SIX bodies were exhumed in Bantayan Island, Cebu yesterday after receiving reports of unidentified bodies being buried on the island.
The disaster victim identification (DVI) team, composed of the Philippine National Police, local and national teams from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Department of Health (DOH) 7, went to the island to exhume the bodies and collect DNA samples.
Locals, who were not able to tolerate the foul smell of decomposition, buried the bodies when they were washed ashore.
Three bodies were buried on the Kintarkan islet of Sta. Fe town, while three other bodies were buried in Madridejos town, in Bantayan Island.
The three bodies buried on the islet were all adult males, presumed to be fishermen who were victims of typhoon Frank last June.
The DVI team came to Bantayan to collect the DNA samples of the dead and of the families with reported missing relatives even if the victims were not of the mv Princess of the Stars tragedy.
Earlier, officials have announced that they would not be limiting their identification process of victims of the sunken Sulpicio Lines Inc. vessel, but would try to identify all victims of typhoon Frank.
Bodies exhumed from the Kinatarkan Islet were in a “far advanced” stage of decomposition.
The normally peaceful atmosphere of Barangay Kinatarkan was disturbed as dead bodies were recovered from three unnamed graves.
The stench filled the air as the decomposed bodies were pulled out of their resting places.
Wrapped in an old green fishing net and covered with a used tarpaulin, one of the three bodies was found wearing what used to be a white “Bossini” t-shirt.
“We have 15 missing fishermen. Most of them come from Barangay Hagdan,” said Marcus Gilbuena, barangay captain of Kinatarkan.
Most of the fishermen, who were reported missing on the islet, were working for the CYC Fishing Corp.
“Fishing is the main means of livelihood,” he said.
Of the three bodies buried in Barangay Ki–natarkan, two were found in Barangay Hagdan, Kinatarkan Islet.
The last body was found floating in the middle of Kinatarkan Island and Madridejos on June 27.
While 15 fishermen were reported missing, only eight relatives approached the DVI teams yesterday to have their DNA samples taken.
“DNA matching is only helpful if we get the samples of all relatives,” said Dr. Rene Cam, medico-legal chief of NBI 7.
Cam explained that because only few relatives came forward and had their DNA samples taken, identifying the dead bodies found in Bantayan Island would be difficult.
“If the Department of Social Welfare and Development will organize all relatives come together on a given date, we will come back and take the needed DNA samples,” he said.
Their only purpose was to exhume the bodies to take DNA samples. They will not bring the bodies to Cebu.
“The DNA samples will be shipped to Sarajevo, Bosnia for processing. The bodies here will be reburied. But once matches have been identified, the bodies will be exhumed again and then turned over to the relatives,” he said.
