Dead Norwegian needs to be buried quick, says Guv
Iloilo -- Iloilo Governor Niel Tupas, Sr. vowed to help facilitate the burial of the body of a Norwegian national who remains unburied for more than a month now in Zarraga, Iloilo.
In a telephone conversation with Provincial Administrator Manuel Mejorada Wednesday, Tupas said the Norwegian's body should be buried as soon as possible as it could cause health hazard to the community.
Mejorada said, the governor relayed a message to the Norwegian's live-in partner Marivic Despe and Brgy. Capt. Rosita Seloterio of Brgy. Tuburan Sulbod, Zarraga, Iloilo to get in touch with Mayor Gregorio Brasas for the speedy burial of the foreigner's decomposing cadaver.
Despe and Brgy. Capt. Seloterio on Wednesday came to the Governor's office to seek help about their problem.
Seloterio is afraid that the foreigner's body would already start to decompose as the funeral parlor did not inject formalin anymore since they still have outstanding bills.
The barangay captain even observed that the cadaver's skin already starts to blacken.
The body of Jan Helgensen Antonsen who died almost a month ago due to illness is still being laid in in his house in Brgy. Tuburan Sulbod, Zarraga, Iloilo. His live-in partner Despe said she does not have money to spend for the burial of Antonsen whom she had lived with for about four years before his demise. They have a three-year old daughter.
Antonsen died of cirrhosis of the liver at the age of 52 in Iloilo Mission Hospital (IMH) last October 14, 2005. Marivic said she even has unpaid hospital bills at the IMH amounting to P336,794.44.
Antonsen was confined at IMH starting June 2005.
Marivic added, she has not also settled her accounts with a funeral home for the embalming services and casket of Antonsen amounting to about P30,000.
Deep in debts, Marivic seems hopeless about having the body of her live-in partner buried. She now turned to the Norwegian government for help.
With the help of Ben Keultjes, a retired officer of the Royal Dutch Navy who is also living in Zarraga, Marivic's sad situation reached the attention of the Norwegian Embassy in Manila.
However, Keultjes said that based on the communications he received from the embassy the Norwegian government is not inclined to help as there is allegedly 'no fund.'
Even Antonsen's family, whom Keultjes has reached through e-mail allegedly could not offer help as they also do not have money.