A priest is helping Philippine families cremate and honor drug war victims at no cost

A priest is helping¹ Philippine families cremate² and honor drug war victims at no cost

Transcript³

MANILA, Philippines — On a recent morning, 44-year-old Lorna Macatuggal showed up at Tala Cemetery⁴ in Caloocan City, north of the capital, to oversee⁵ a difficult task: the exhumation⁶ of her brother Jefferson Macatuggal's remains⁷.

Her brother was shot dead at age 38 on March 29, 2017, and she says she believes vigilantes marked him as a drug dealer⁸ and killed him. That would make him one of the thousands killed during Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.

At the time, Macatuggal didn't have the money to put her brother's body in a permanent grave — so she rented one.

She says she paid a little over $700 for a five-year lease on what Filipinos call "rental⁹ gravesites" or "apartment graves." That's cheaper than the typical $900 families pay for such a lease, which is the average monthly salary for most Filipinos. Meanwhile, a more permanent gravesite can cost as much as $2,000 for a 30 to 40-year lease.

Now, the lease on her brother's gravesite is about to expire and, even though Macatuggal and her husband both have jobs, they don't have the money to renew it. She takes care of six kids, she says. Three of them are her own; three of them the orphans¹⁰ of her brother. If she cannot pay to renew the lease, Jefferson's bones will be exhumed¹¹ and thrown into a mass, unmarked grave with others whose loved ones could not afford permanent burial sites.

"We feel uneasy," Macatuggal says. "If he gets transferred [to a mass grave] we might not be sure if that's even our brother anymore in that compilation¹² of bones."

So, when she heard about a program that would cremate the remains and find a permanent resting place for the ashes — free of charge to her — Macatuggal jumped at the chance to participate.

A nonprofit helps families honor slain¹³ relatives

"Since they lost their loved ones, usually their bread winners, they are not able to afford to procure¹⁴ their own private land or box to place their loved ones," Catholic priest Flaviano "Flavie" Villanueva tells NPR.

He's the 52-year-old founder¹⁵ of Project Arise, an offshoot of his more well-established Program Paghilom, a Catholic nonprofit that has helped widows and orphans of victims with food assistance, counseling resources and other services since Duterte's war on drugs began in 2016.

The idea for Project Arise is simple: Families agree to have their relatives' bodies exhumed from their temporary graves to be cremated¹⁶, and then the ashes are placed in a more permanent location.

Since launching in April 2021, the project has exhumed and cremated over 50 bodies, at no cost to the participating families. That's only about 18% of the nearly 300 families in Program Paghilom with loved ones killed in just 2016, according to Villanueva.

But providing this service is not cheap. The entire process costs around $900 per case, Villanueva says, and that does not include the more permanent resting place, such as a plot of land or burial box purchased for the family, for the ashes. To ensure the program remains free, he's been borrowing money from friends and relying on donations from other private citizens in the Philippines. Sometimes a generous, anonymous¹⁷ benefactor¹⁸ will sponsor a whole family, but that's rare, he says.

This weighs on Villanueva's mind as he knows this difficult work will be ongoing¹⁹ for a long time, because as each year passes, more "apartment grave" leases will inevitably²⁰ come up for renewal²¹. Ultimately, thousands of families could find themselves in the same exact position as Macatuggal in the years to come.

Thousands have died, many in extrajudicial killings²²

The Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency recorded more than 6,200 suspects killed during anti-drug operations from July 2016 to November 2021. But reports from human rights groups and the United Nations say the real death toll²³ could be between 12,000 and 30,000. including thousands of people killed outside of official police operations.

Most of the deaths are from extrajudicial killings, rights groups and researchers say, the victims' families never receiving any justice or closure. The police may write up a report on the incident, but further investigations²⁵ requested by families can languish²⁶ for years.

Macatuggal believes her brother was one of those victims.

According to a police report reviewed by NPR, a preliminary investigation²⁴ found that a shooter appeared from behind Jefferson Macatuggal, fatally shot him, and then "fled to [an] undisclosed destination." Police could not identify the suspect or determine a motive²⁷ at the time, the report says.

The family chose not to seek further investigation, not knowing how or where to start, the victim's sister says.

Project Arise is for the dead and the living

Five years later, Macatuggal needed to move her brother's body. That's where Project Arise stepped in.

As the priest Villanueva says, the project is meant to help both the dead and the living.

"For the families who were robbed of the opportunity to grieve," he says. "If they do this in a proper way, with the proper guidance, I think there's a better chance that their tomorrows will be better."

After the bodies are cremated, he turns the ashes over to the families in a personally engraved³⁰, white marble urn²⁸. The handover typically takes place during an emotional ceremony held in a church. The families get to keep the urns²⁹ for a while but are then asked to place them in a final, more permanent resting place.

Karen Gomez-Dumpit, a commissioner³¹ with the Philippines Commission on Human Rights, attended a recent handover ceremony. She says the commission, which is an independent, constitutionally mandated³² body that investigates alleged³³ human rights violations³⁴, is thankful for programs like this because they "help the poorest of the poor."

"The drug war has actually been employing 'othering'; they say [poor people allegedly involved with drugs are] not humans," Gomez-Dumpit says. She notes many observers have described the anti-drug campaign as a war against the poor.

"Father Flavie witnesses that every day by helping out these families," she says. "So, we're really very grateful for his work and the foundation, but it really takes a village to help these families find healing."

The family of Jefferson Macatuggal may also finally be able to find some healing in laying his body to rest in a more permanent and dignified³⁵ place.

Following the exhumation of her brother's remains, Lorna Macatuggal says that while she feels a mixture of both sadness and anger, a sense of peace has come over her. She says she hopes Project Arise can help other families finally feel that same peace.

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 cremate   

v.火葬，烧成灰

参考例句：

• She wants Chris to be cremated.她想把克里斯的尸体火化。
• Laowang explains: "Combustion is cremate, degenerating is inhumation. "老王解释道：“燃烧就是火葬，腐朽就是土葬。”

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 cemetery   

n.坟墓，墓地，坟场

参考例句：

• He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
• His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。

5 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

6 exhumation   

n.掘尸，发掘；剥璐

参考例句：

• The German allowed a forensic commission including prominent neutral experts to supervise part of the exhumation. 德国人让一个包括杰出的中立专家在内的法庭委员会对部分掘墓工作进行监督。 来自辞典例句
• At any rate, the exhumation was repeated once and again. 无论如何，他曾经把尸体挖出来又埋进去，埋进去又挖出来。 来自互联网

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

8 dealer   

n.商人，贩子

参考例句：

• The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
• The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。

9 rental   

n.租赁，出租，出租业

参考例句：

• The yearly rental of her house is 2400 yuan.她这房子年租金是2400元。
• We can organise car rental from Chicago O'Hare Airport.我们可以安排提供从芝加哥奥黑尔机场出发的租车服务。

10 orphans   

孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。
• Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。

11 exhumed   

v.挖出，发掘出( exhume的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Marie Curie's remains were exhumed and interred in the Pantheon. 玛丽·居里的遗体被移出葬在先贤祠中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His remains have been exhumed from a cemetery in Queens, New York City. 他的遗体被从纽约市皇后区的墓地里挖了出来。 来自辞典例句

12 compilation   

n.编译，编辑

参考例句：

• One of the first steps taken was the compilation of a report.首先采取的步骤之一是写一份报告。
• The compilation of such diagrams,is of lasting value for astronomy.绘制这样的图对天文学有永恒的价值。

13 slain   

杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词)

参考例句：

• The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。
• His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。

14 procure   

vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条

参考例句：

• Can you procure some specimens for me?你能替我弄到一些标本吗？
• I'll try my best to procure you that original French novel.我将尽全力给你搞到那本原版法国小说。

15 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

16 cremated   

v.火葬，火化（尸体）( cremate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He wants to is cremated, not buried. 他要火葬，不要土葬。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The bodies were cremated on the shore. 他们的尸体在海边火化了。 来自辞典例句

17 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

18 benefactor   

n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人

参考例句：

• The chieftain of that country is disguised as a benefactor this time. 那个国家的首领这一次伪装出一副施恩者的姿态。
• The first thing I did, was to recompense my original benefactor, my good old captain. 我所做的第一件事, 就是报答我那最初的恩人, 那位好心的老船长。

19 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

20 inevitably   

adv.不可避免地；必然发生地

参考例句：

• In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
• Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。

21 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。

22 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

23 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

24 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

25 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

26 languish   

vi.变得衰弱无力，失去活力，（植物等）凋萎

参考例句：

• Without the founder's drive and direction,the company gradually languished.没有了创始人的斗志与指引，公司逐渐走向没落。
• New products languish on the drawing board.新产品在计划阶段即告失败。

27 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

28 urn   

n.（有座脚的）瓮；坟墓；骨灰瓮

参考例句：

• The urn was unearthed entire.这只瓮出土完整无缺。
• She put the big hot coffee urn on the table and plugged it in.她将大咖啡壶放在桌子上,接上电源。

29 urns   

n.壶( urn的名词复数 )；瓮；缸；骨灰瓮

参考例句：

• Wine utensils unearthed include jars, urns, pots, bowls and cups. 发掘出的酒器皿有瓶、瓮、罐、壶、碗和杯子。 来自互联网
• Ernie yearned to learn to turn urns. 呕尼渴望学会转咖啡壶。 来自互联网

30 engraved   

v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中）

参考例句：

• The silver cup was engraved with his name. 银杯上刻有他的名字。
• It was prettily engraved with flowers on the back. 此件雕刻精美，背面有花饰图案。 来自《简明英汉词典》

31 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

32 mandated   

adj. 委托统治的

参考例句：

• Mandated desegregation of public schools. 命令解除公立学校中的种族隔离
• Britain was mandated to govern the former colony of German East Africa. 英国受权代管德国在东非的前殖民地。

33 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

34 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

35 dignified   

a.可敬的，高贵的

参考例句：

• Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。
• He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。