For identification of Yolanda dead lack of funds stalls DNA testing, cross matching

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines – DNA cross matching has not yet started because the national government has not yet downloaded funds for the process, NBI-Region 8 acting Assistant Regional Director Mario Tonelete told Interaksyon.com yesterday.

“Wala pa, hindi pa nagsisimula ang DNA cross matching kasi wala pang pondo para sa pag proseso at pambili ng mga chemicals para dito,” Tonolete said.

Tacloban’s Assistant City Administrator Brando Bernadas, in an ABS-CBN.com report, estimated that there are still over 2,000 bodies in the city’s mass graves that have yet to be identified through DNA testing by the NBI.

NBI’s national and regional personnel, as of July this year, have already processed a total of 2,263 dead bodies for DNA cross matching at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Barangay Basper of Tacloban City.

According to the NBI’s post-mortem data, a total of 2,259 dead bodies out of 2,263 processed have been buried, while four bodies are still unburied, two bodies have been exhumed and eight bodies have been temporarily released.

The DNA testing and matching are necessary for the identification of the unidentified fatalities of typhoon Yolanda in Region 8.

Eastern Visayas has recorded a total of 5,894 casualties, based on the latest count of Department of Interior and Local Government-Region 8, as of June 22.

Tacloban City has recorded 2,689, Leyte 2,684, Baybay 2, Ormoc City 37, Eastern Samar 266, Samar 210 and Biliran had six casualties.

Girlie Globio, wife of a radio broadcaster Archie Globio whose body has not yet been found, submitted DNA samples to the NBI early this year hoping that her husband was one of those buried and processed by the NBI personnel in Holy Cross Cemetery.

Archie Globio died inside the DyBR Apple Radio station at the height of Yolanda’s fury and storm surge.

Malacañang said efforts to identify the thousands of dead bodies still continue, and Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. assured that the government will not stop until all the bodies have been identified and are given proper burial spaces.

“Patuloy ang pagsisikap ng pamahalaan upang maisaayos ang pagbibigay ng karampatang himlayan sa mga naging biktima ng bagyong Yolanda,” Coloma said over government radio dzRB.

While Coloma admitted that Yolanda has been a nightmare for a lot of Filipinos, he assured the public that the government is doing everything to help the survivors move on from the tragedy. —From the wires