Police in Mabini, Bohol are investigating the illegal exhumation of human remains from a barangay cemetery, citing treasure hunting as the likely motive behind the incident.
The body, which had been buried for nine months, was discovered outside its tomb at Lungsodaan Public Cemetery on Monday after being removed from its resting place, according to Mabini police chief Lt. Joseph Marlon Macalos.
A woman visiting the cemetery noticed a foul odor and traced it to the exposed remains, which she then reported to barangay officials who alerted police.
The deceased, who had worked in Manila before returning to Bohol due to illness, died in April 2025 and was properly interred following death.
“The possible motive behind this incident is treasure hunting, where the suspects believed there were jewelry or valuable items buried with the body,” Macalos said in a radio interview.
The Municipal Health Officer who examined the remains found no evidence of foul play.
An initial allegation that the body had been sexually assaulted was unfounded, police said.
The coffin had been removed from the tomb and left abandoned.
Police noted that an adjacent tomb also showed signs of tampering, suggesting the suspects may have targeted multiple burial sites.
“The suspects possibly used a detector and were misled into thinking there were valuable items inside the tomb,” Macacos said.
The family of the deceased confirmed that no valuables or jewelry had been buried with the body.
The underwear found at the victim’s feet was likely displaced during the exhumation process, not evidence of assault, police said.
Family members, assisted by barangay officials, have since reburied the remains.
Investigators believe the suspects are not local residents, as no known treasure hunters operate in Mabini and this marks the first such incident in the municipality in recent memory.
Police are continuing their investigation to identify suspects who could face charges related to sanitation violations for conducting an unauthorized exhumation.