Family learns at wake loved one's eyes were stolen

Getting stabbed to death was bad enough. But then the family of 18-year-old murder victim Jason Infante, who was killed Sunday, learned that his eyes were also stolen.

 

Jason’s brother, Juan Paulo Infante, said on Facebook Tuesday morning that they realized that Jason’s eyes were taken when they noticed that his face looked different at the wake. 

 

“I have been with Jason ever since his death from the OR, down to the Morgue, from there I traveled together with him to ‘Funeraria Filipinas’ and I didn't leave his side only until it was time for his Medico-Legal [autopsy] because we weren't allowed to enter the place,” Paulo stated on Facebook.

 

“I decided together with my friends to go and check out Jason's wake…he didn't look like the person I left in Funeraria Filipinas, his eyes [were] pierced down. My brother has big eyes so it was evident that something was wrong,” he added.

He then learned that his mother and embalmers had earlier opened Jason’s lids to find eye cups in place of his eyes.

 

“The owner of Funeraria Filipinas went to the wake because she got a call regarding the matter and she said she didn't know a thing,” Paulo said.

 

The Eye Bank Foundation manager as well as the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) doctor who performed the autopsy then spoke to the family.

 

“They were saying that under Republic Act 7885 that they can get the eyes even if they haven't secured any consent from the family. Only to find out from our lawyers that it wasn't allowed,” he said.

 

R.A. 7885 says that physicians in charge of a patient, heads of hospitals, or other designated officers may authorize the removal of organs from donors for the purpose of transplantation provided that they have “exerted reasonable efforts, within 48 hours, to locate the nearest relative listed in Section 4 [of R.A. 7170] or guardian of the decedent at time of death.”

 

The nearest relatives listed in Section 4 of R.A. 7170 include the deceased’s spouse, legal age son or daughter, parent, legal age brother or sister, or guardian at time of death.

 

Furthermore, Dianne Infante, Jason’s sister, also said in a Facebook comment that her brother did not leave any note or authorization prior to his death that he wanted to donate his organs.

 

“The family is willing to donate sa hospital palang, pero sila pa nag-educate samin na we can’t nga kasi walang note si Jason na he's willing in case,” she said.

 

Corneas retrieved

 

Rosel Laurito, a representative of Funeraria Filipinas, told GMA News Online that they only learned that Jason’s eyes were missing after he had been embalmed.

 

Laurito said that standard operating procedures prohibit any of the parlor’s staff to be with the body while a medico-legal autopsy is being performed.

 

“SOP namin for medico-legal cases, tianatawag namin yung PNP. Hindi pwede kami mag-autopsy, kailangan doctor from SOCO crime lab,” she explained.

 

“Hindi namin alam, all the while wala kaming nakita na may ganung nangyari,” she added.

 

She also said that when she discussed the incident with representatives from the Eye Bank Foundation and SOCO, they said that they took the eyes under a memorandum of agreement.

 

“Sabi nila may MOA ang SOCO at Eye Bank. Andito lang naman yung family, hindi man lang nila inabisuhan,” Laurito said.

 

She also said that they did not think of tightening security as they had worked with SOCO many times before and “ngayon lang nagkaproblema.”

 

Meanwhile, in an official statement, the Eye Bank Foundation president and chair Dr. Dominga Padilla apologized to the family, admitting now that they had retrieved Jason’s corneas.

 

“We assure all that the retrieval of Jason’s corneas was done in good faith, in accordance with the mandate of the Eye Bank Foundation, and with utmost respect and care for Jason,” she said.

 

Padilla said that she had now spoken with the Infante family to let them decide what to do with Jason’s corneas.

 

“Mrs. Infante has requested the Eye Bank Foundation to hold on to Jason's corneas in safe keeping until a decision has been reached,” she said.

 

GMA News Online contacted the Eye Bank Foundation, but they declined to give any further comment on the incident. — DVM, GMA News