THE Bacolod City General Services Office (GSO) is conducting an investigation on the illegal removal of tombs at the Burgos Public Cemetery.
GSO head Jerome Solinap said he received complaints from two residents that the tombs of their loved ones were found missing.
Solinap, along with couple Rodel and Ginalin Libosada, sought the assistance of Police Station 4 yesterday to recover the bones of their loved ones.
On November 1, the couple, residents of Barangay 35, Bacolod City, filed a complaint before the police against cemetery caretaker Ricardo Repogio, and alleged contractor Winston Mullner.
The couple said that when they arrived at 3:30 p.m. on All Saints’ Day, they were surprised that the tombs of their departed family members could no longer be found.
They said that five graves, containing the bones of eight persons, were missing and instead, the area was already occupied by the mausoleum of Jovito Diaz and Faz Diaz.
They added that when they confronted Repogio, he pointed them to Mullner, who was allegedly the contractor for the mausoleum and the one who demolished the tombs.
Solinap said certain suspects, whom he refused to name, took the skeletons and extended the Diaz mausoleum and put up a concrete fence around it.
“Their activity was illegal and they cannot do that without an exhumation permit from the City Government,” he said.
Solinap said that on November 1, a certain Gayanelo also claimed that the tomb of his sibling was missing.
The GSO chief said he required the caretaker to submit an explanation of the incidents.
“It is the responsibility of the caretaker to monitor the illegal activities inside the public cemetery,” Solinap said.
He said the suspects should locate and return the skeletons or charges will be filed against them.
Solinap said he will submit the results of the investigation to the City Mayor’s Office and City Legal Office today.
He added that he will recommend the demolition of the mausoleum structure of the Diaz family, and to disallow informal settlers inside the public cemetery.
Solinap said they will construct new tombs for the bones of the complainants’ loved ones.
Repogio, a regular city employee, said he discovered the construction of the mausoleum on October 29.
Repogio said Mullner is a job order casual assigned at Libertad Public Market, and but he is nowhere to be found.
