Grave gold thieves destroyed my grandparent's tomb in Tayabas, Quezon


grave thieves in the Philippines
photo via Chuchieshideaway



Photo above is a visual sample on what happened to my grand father's tomb.

My morning is in its badtrip mode when I read a late txt message from my old phone. Its our grandparent’s tomb care taker in Tayabas, Quezon province. He informed me that our Grand father’s grave was destroyed yesterday and the culprit behind it are the grave thieves who hunt for gold, silver, bronze, metal and jewelries inside the closed final resting place of our dead love ones. It’s a big shocker for me that we are victimized by these professional grave thieves and I’m not sure how they discovered that my grand father is wearing a false teeth with 2 gold teeth, and even us didn’t know that there’s gold in his false teeth. Our tomb caretaker told me that two teeth were missing..OMFG!

Our tomb care taker, Mang Kaldo, texted me and I’m very thankful that he reported it to us what happened. I called them on the phone and the one who spoke to me is his wife. Then I reported it to my family about what happened and we need to repair it right away because the tomb and the remains of my Lolo Panyo will be ruined by the rain. Mang Kaldo told me that the resident sepulturero who manages the whole Tayabas, Quezon cemetery are the one authorized to clean up and repair the mess. The damage for our wallets is a Php 2,500 for a repair, they will cover the hole with metal and then cement it back again. I’m not sure why the need to use metal.

I’m not sure what will be the procedure and I want to check it out myself, but its too far away and we need to cover the hole before more rain can flood the casket and maybe stray animals like dogs, steal the bones of my grand father.

I’m not sure if the barangay and the police are aware of the incident, but we will visit the police and barangay station for personal report and complain when we visit their graves this November 1. Mang Kaldo will supervise the repair of the tomb and he told me that many tombs were victimized yesterday and its look like a group of gold diggers and grave hunter and thieves who attacked an old cemetery in one night. I’m sure they are equipped with high tech metal detectors and they are well organized criminals.

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sample photo of a man using a metal detector
photo via goldprice

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White tomb on the left is my grand father (photo 2012 undas)


me in 2009 undas

I hope the local government should do something and it’s not right to steal and destroy tombs of the dead who are resting already for years. And this show how corrupt and poor our country, having lots of criminals around…and sick people who terrorize the living and even the dead.

To my Lolo Panyo, don't worry, those thieves will get their own karma.

For those who don’t want to experience this incident.
here are some tips.

1. It will be better that you remove the false teeth made up of silver, gold or bronze
2. Don’t place jewelries or coins along with the dead person inside the casket
3. Buy wooden casket with less metal but made of aluminum
4. Don’t use Bronze or metallic tombstones
5. Get a secured and private cemetery
6. Visit the tomb every year or visit it regularly
7. Get a tomb care taker to look out and clean the tomb for you when you are away
8. If you have placed some jewelry upon last request of the dead person, don’t mention that you inserted it there
9. Don’t mention that your dead relative have gold or silver plated false teeth
10. Be quiet and never mention all details to the sepulturero or tomb care taker on what’s inside the casket.
11. Much better if you cremate your relative and keep the ashes in a secured cemetery. (don’t use metallic urns)

Using metals around the tomb is a thief magnet, remember that scavenge metal materials can be exchange for money in a nearby junkshop.

If ever I die, I want my body be cremated and let it stay in a casket. I will place a fake skeleton inside and a tiny bits of hard metal inside. I will also place a picture of my middle finger, a troll face and a note saying “ Gotcha! mother fuckers! there’s no gold in here..wahhahahaha….you will die alone soon!”

I hope that message will reach it to the grave thieves.