ID match on Tacloban bodies, survivors set

Tacloban City – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is set to conduct ante- and post-mortem identification or matching phase to surviving family members of those who are reported missing after the onslaught of typhoon Yolanda.

According to Dr Nicasio Botin, team leader of the NBI Disaster Victims Identification team, the ante- and post-mortem identification is set after Holy Week and will last for about six weeks for the gathering of DNA samples.

The entire process, however, will take 3 years to finish, said Botin.

He added the problem they are anticipating now is looking for place or venue in conducting the matching phase.

The team also needs at least 20 volunteers who will conduct the anti- and post-mortem phase.

Apart from the volunteers, eight members of the NBI will work on rotational basis during the post-mortem ID.

The NBI said that about 2,241 bodies recovered here have already undergone post-mortem identification as of March 23.

Of the 2,241 bodies, eight were claimed by their families while 2, 233 were buried at the Holy Cross Memorial Park.

The processed bodies in the post-mortem identification were taken from the temporarily burial site in Suhi (1,200 bodies), Basper (852), and Holy Cross (189).

Botin added that bodies permanently buried at the Holy Cross Memorial Park – once matched with the DNA samples to claimants – may be exhumed and transferred to other cemetery by their relatives.

Based on the record of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), a total of 2, 686 bodies were already recovered in this city as of March 27. – Solar News, with reports by Wil Mark Amazona

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Source: Google Alert - tacloban