ILOILO — A discovery inside a long-sealed tomb at Culasi Cemetery in Ajuy town has raised the possibility that the human bones found wrapped in plastic and bound with packing tape may belong to a woman who has been missing for nearly 10 months.
The remains — clearly bundled recently despite being inside an old tomb — were uncovered on November 17 when a family opened the tomb to clean it in preparation for a new burial. Instead, they were found a newly wrapped set of bones hidden inside.
The family reported the discovery to the Ajuy Municipal Police Station the following day, November 18.
As police began investigating, a mother stepped forward fearing the remains could be those of her missing daughter.
Rosie Quidato, a resident of Sitio Nabalian in Barangay Barrido, Ajuy, said she rushed to authorities after learning about the discovery, worried that the bones might belong to her 29-year-old daughter, Cristine Joy, who has been missing since January 20, 2025.
Quidato shared that Cristine Joy, who was a person with disability, had been gone for almost a year. She said her family is now hoping for answers.
The family is determined, she added, to request forensic testing to determine whether the bones are indeed Cristine Joy’s and to clarify the cause of death.
Police investigators are now securing evidence from the cemetery and gathering leads. They have urged anyone with relevant information to come forward as Ajuy residents grow increasingly anxious over the mysterious discovery and its possible connection to the unresolved disappearance./PN
