SKELETAL remains of around three to five individuals were found under the ground within the compound of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila, its spokesperson said on Friday, November 25, 2022.

Justice Spokesperson Mico Clavano said bones including skulls were found near the surface while workers were digging up on Thursday amid the construction of a four-storey building behind the main DOJ’s main building.

Clavano said they already tapped pathology expert Doctor Raquel Fortun about the discovered bones.

“She’ll be here with an anthropologist and she advised us the next time na makuha natin ‘yung ganung klaseng skeletons or remains na not to touch it,” he said.

“We will be meeting with several other archeologists, anthropologists para madiscuss natin ‘yung possible nating gawin,” he added.

In a tweet, Fortun said association of bones during their discovery is important.

“Your chances of getting [information] from those remains depend a lot on how careful you document and recover them and the artifacts they’re with. Refer to experts,” she said.

Clavano said they were not aware of the proper procedure on such matter and had immediately turned over the recovered skeletons to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

In 2009, construction workers also recovered skeletons, including two skulls believed to have been buried over the past 25 years within the DOJ building. (SunStar Philippines)