From the Manila Times (Jun 25, 2019): Karapatan eyes custody of 3 NPA cadavers
CAMP CAPINPIN, Tanay, Rizal: Karapatan Southern Tagalog is insisting on taking the bodies of the three New People’s Army (NPA) rebels whose remains are being kept in Dimatulak Funeral Service by the Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro local government while their real identities are still being determined.
The three were killed on June 13 when they fought against the troops of the 4th and 76th Infantry Battalions, 203rd Brigade and Philippine National Police in Sitio Mawan, Panaytayan, Oriental Mindoro. They were carrying four high-powered firearms, ammunition and subversive materials.
Karapatan presented a certain April Joy de Razo and Jessica Alcos as the relatives of two of the dead rebels. Razo introduced herself as the common-law wife of Ricky Gonzales delos Santos while Alcos said she was the daughter of the cadaver she claimed was Victor Alcos’. Both presented insufficient documents for their claims. No one has identified or claimed the third cadaver.
According to law, the procedure on claiming a cadaver, and the right to retain, inter, dispose of or exhume the cadaver is exclusive to relatives, from the spouse, from the descendants of the nearest degree, from the ascendants, also of the nearest degree and from the brothers and sisters.
For purposes of the instant claim, friends or strangers are considered third parties and are not afforded the same rights as those that are enumerated by law.
Karapatan has been crying foul and questioned why the bodies were not released to them despite presenting two claimants with some documents.
Authorities, however, said the issue was not about the authenticity of the documents they presented but that investigators still have to ascertain the identities of the cadavers. They are avoiding a situation where another set of claimants may appear after the cadavers have been released.
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