Remains of 'Bloody Sunday' victims to be autopsied anew

The bodies of some of the activists killed in bloody police operations in Calabarzon over the weekend are set to undergo a re-autopsy following their release from a funeral parlor.

In a press conference of the families of the victims on Friday, spokesperson of the Bayan-Southern Tagalog group Casey Cruz said the remains to be reautopsied include those of Randy and Puroy Dela Cruz; Edward and Abner Esto, Melvin Dasigao and Mark Lee Bacasno.

"Whatever will be the result of the reautopsy will be confidential to the families, the paralegal and lawyers of those assisting them. But definitely we will use it against to file counter charges against the operatives of the PNP and the CIDG-Group," Cruz said partly in Filipino.

The remains of four of the nine activists killed were previously held at the Antipolo Memorial Homes on the orders of police, rights group Karapatan said.

According to Cruz, the stand-off between the Rizal police and the relatives of victims at the Antipolo mortuary was triggered when the mortuary found out about the families' plan to reautopsy the cadavers of their relatives.

"Ang naririnig mismo ng mga paralegal at ng families na sinasabi ng [kapulisan] na 'Idelay niyo lang, idelay niyo lang. 'Yan 'yung atas sa itaas.' It is the usual happening na nangyayari sa lahat ng mga napapaslang sa Timog Katagalugan," Cruz said.

(The paralegal and the families themselves heard the police saying 'Delay it, just delay it.' That's the orders from above.' It is the usual happening to all those slain in Southern Tagalog.)

Cruz said the Antipolo Memorial Homes was a Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO)-accredited funeral.

Rizal police chief Police Colonel Joseph Arguelles has denied that they are blocking the release of the bodies of the activists.

"Actually, for release na po 'yun (the bodies are already scheduled for release)," Arguelles told GMA News Online. -NB, GMA News Online