NBI files estafa charges vs crematorium owner, 3 others
The controversy erupted following the discovery of numerous sacks filled with the bodies of deceased dogs and cats discarded in Bulacan.
AGENTS from the National Bureau of Investigation-Environmental Crime Division file formal complaints for estafa and illegal waste dumping at the Department of Justice in Manila on Friday. The charges stem from an investigation into a pet crematorium service involved in the unauthorized and improper disposal of pet remains discovered in Bulacan.
Photographs by Zedrich Xylak Madrid for DAILY TRIBUNE
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed multiple criminal complaints before the Department of Justice (DoJ) on Friday against the owner of a pet crematorium and three other individuals.
The charges stemmed from the controversial and illegal disposal of sacks containing dead dogs and cats in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.
The NBI-Environmental Crime Division (NBI-ECD) formally brought the complaints following an extensive investigation into the facility’s failure to properly cremate pet remains entrusted to it by grieving owners.
The respondents face initial charges of estafa and violations of Republic Act 9003 (The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000), among other legal infractions.
The initial filing represents the first six of 25 total cases currently under active investigation by the bureau.
NBI director Melvin Matibag confirmed that the initial charges were built on solid evidence and sworn statements from six pet owners who personally came forward to report the fraud.
“We have gathered the necessary statements, so we are filing charges initially based on what has already been established,” Matibag stated, emphasizing that additional complaints will be rolled out as investigators process the remaining cases.
The controversy erupted following the discovery of numerous sacks filled with the bodies of deceased dogs and cats discarded in Bulacan.
The grim find triggered a public outcry and a subsequent NBI probe into the pet crematorium’s operations.
Distressed pet owners had paid the facility for professional, individual cremation services to give their companion animals a dignified farewell.
Instead, evidence reveals that the facility allegedly bypassed the cremation process entirely, mass-discharging the animal remains into sacks and illegally dumping them in public spaces, in direct violation of environmental laws and consumer trust.
The NBI continues to log complaints from affected clients and urges other victims to come forward as it prepares to file the remaining 19 cases.