Twenty dead bodies were brought in various dates to Capin Funeral Homes in Iligan City since the Marawi siege broke out on May 23. Of the total number of dead bodies, 11 remained unidentified and unclaimed for the last 22 days. After samples for DNA were taken from the cadavers, the local government of Iligan decided to bury them en masse in a public cemetery.
Davaotoday.com witnessed the loading of the unclaimed dead bodies in wooden coffins from the funeral parlor, their transport that passed through the city proper of Iligan and their burial at Dalipuga Public Cemetery on Thursday, June 15.
IN WOODEN COFFINS. Workers at Capin Funeral Homes and the City Government of Iligan started to load 11 wooden coffins where bodies of unidentified victims of Marawi siege lay, including that of a young girl. (Alex D. Lopez/davaotoday.com)
OFF FOR EN MASSE BURIAL. The dead bodies will be buried en masse at Dalipuga Public Cemetery in Iligan. The city government decided to dispose of the dead bodies as no families claimed for them for the last 22 days. Samples for DNA were already taken from each of the victims performed by authorities from the crime laboratory in Camp Crame. (Alex D. Lopez/davaotoday.com)
THE BURIAL PLACE. Workers at Dalipuga Public Cemetery prepared these burial tombs for the unknown victims of Marawi siege. The cadavers will lay here, maybe temporarily if families would claim them, or forever if no one will remember them. (Alex D. Lopez/davaotoday.com)
FLOWERS FOR THE UNNAMED VICTIMS. Courtesy of the city government of Iligan, a bouquet of fresh flowers was offered for the 11 unnamed victims of Marawi siege. (Alex D. Lopez/davaotoday.com)
A HYMN FOR THE UNNAMED VICTIMS. A religious hymn, accompanied by a guitar was also offered for the unknown victims of Marawi siege prior to their actual burial. (Alex D. Lopez/davaotoday.com)
CANDLES OF THE UNNAMED VICTIMS. An employee from the city government of Iligan lighted candles at the burial place for the unknown victims of Marawi siege. (Alex D. Lopez/davaotoday.com)
WONDERING. Local boys witnessed the burial en masse on Thursday, June 15 at Dalipuga Public Cemetery in Iligan, their minds and eyes filled with wonders that manifest unfathomable questions on the unfolding of day-to-day events in Marawi that also affect their communities in Iligan. (Alex D. Lopez/davaotoday.com)
LAID TO REST. After the religious ceremony, workers start to unload the wooden coffins for burial. (Alex D. Lopez/davaotoday.com)
FIRTS TO GO. The first coffin buried belonged to the unidentified young girl whose cadaver remained unclaimed by her family and relatives. (Alex D. Lopez/davaotoday.com)
ONE BY ONE. Workers carry the wooden coffins of 11 unnamed Marawi siege victims one by one for burial. (Alex D. Lopez/davaotoday.com)
FEW WITNESSES. Aside from the members of the media, a few employees of the city government of Iligan witnessed the burial en masse of unidentified victims of Marawi siege. (Alex D. Lopez/davaotoday.com)
FINAL PRAYER. After all the 11 wooden coffins were laid in tombs, a Pastor presided over the final prayer for the soul of the unidentified victims of Marawi ege. (Alex D. Lopez/davaotoday.com)
