Forensic expert talks ‘cremains’ as netizens speculate on Jaybee Sebastian’s death

As netizens discuss high-profile inmate Jaybee Sebastian’s cremation remains or “cremains” following his coronavirus-related death, a forensic expert explained that not all remains look the same.

In Ian Simbulan’s Thursday report on “Stand for Truth,” Dr. Raquel Fortun said cremains are unique to each individual.

“Unang-una ‘yung volume, variable daw iyon, I checked some sources. The volume can be variable, hindi siya ganoon ka-informative,” she said.

“Tapos we’re talking of commercial cremation, ‘yung controlled talaga and ‘pag sinunog mo ‘yan, actually pagkatapos niyan, hindi ‘yan talagang pinong-pino. What they do, mayroon pa ‘yang mechanical grinding para mas maging pino pa siya,” Fortun added.

However, the expert also questioned the speed at which Sebastian’s remains were cremated.

“You can actually take safeguards para hindi naman ganoon kadelikado. Like ang patay, ‘yung bangkay, puwede mo namang i-protect. And besides, cremation again also entails a lot of documentation, like sino ‘yan, kasi ‘yung tao may mga kaso… maraming legal implications plus of course may pamilya yan,” she said.

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) earlier assured the public that the kin of the high-profile New Bilibid Prison inmates who succumbed to COVID-19 were duly informed.

Director Gerald Bantag has also maintained that the BuCor can prove that the inmates truly died of COVID-19 and were not killed or let loose as some speculate. 

“Ang pinaka glaring actually is the fact that you’ve got inmates,” Fortun said. “These are institutionalized individuals under the care of government agency, so ‘pag namatay, hindi yan basta-basta, ‘Okay, namatay.’ You really have to establish a lot of things.”

“Pati sa legal system, kasi preso ka. Ano, tapos na ‘yung kaso mo? [...] Kaya dapat ‘yung identity, klaro ‘yan e lalo pa kung preso. Tama lang na magtanong ang mga tao kasi andaming eyebrow-raising dito sa issues na ganito,” the expert added. —Julia Mari Ornedo/LDF, GMA News