Gov’t speeds up burial of ‘Yolanda’ fatalities

AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Concerned government agencies have teamed up with the local government of Tacloban to hasten the burial of almost 1,400 fatalities of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” that were left on the streets after the devastation, the Presidential Communications Operations Office said.

PCOO Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the Department of Public Works and Highways sent additional backhoes and payloaders while the National Bureau of Investigation redeployed its forensics team to Tacloban.

Coloma quoted a report from Secretary Panfilo Lacson of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery that the Department of Health sent 1,500 bags and protective kits for personnel handling the cadavers.

“The DOH, NBI and DPWH are coordinating with the Tacloban City government in this regard,” Coloma said in a press briefing Thursday afternoon.

He added that the agencies are considering other suggestions to speed up the process, including modifying the procedure the NBI used to identify remains.

Coloma said that some sectors pointed out that the NBI adhere to the procedures that the International Police Organization (Interpol) uses.

“Some agencies have conveyed to the NBI a suggestion to modify the procedures since Interpol procedures are used to gather evidence in criminal cases and are thus more thorough but time-consuming,” Coloma said.

“Victims of the calamity are not similarly situated as victims of crimes, so I think that it is a point that may be discusses.”

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