Why must the living keep disturbing the dead?
This question came to mind in the case of the tomb site of U.S. statesman and former Philippine Governor-General Francis Burton Harrison. Located at the Manila North Cemetery, the spot had been converted into a makeshift eatery when TV Patrol correspondent Zyann Ambrosio was on the scene for the All Saints’ Day coverage.
For the record, Harrison, the man behind the street name, was the only former governor-general who was awarded Philippine citizenship. He had died in the U.S. but he specified in his will that he wanted to be buried in the Philippines.
The eatery’s cook, Neg de la Peña, seemed to be unaware of Harrison’s part in Philippine history. If he was, it appeared that he could have cared less about it. He explained that the eatery or carinderia was renting the space. He didn’t say from whom they were renting it, though.
It’s not just Harrison’s final resting place that has been defiled. The tomb sites of former Manila mayors Arsenio H. Lacson and Antonio J. Villegas had reportedly been stripped of their bronze letterings. Their family members could only shake their heads at the blatant disrespect. Other famous tomb sites were also stripped of their bronze letterings.
Manila North Cemetery management says they hope to curb the tomb site robberies since they recently installed CCTV cameras in the cemetery.
Photo by user Exec8 via WikiCommons
