Medicine man Angelito Oreta trawls the public graveyards around his home in Muntinlupa, on the outskirts of Philippines capital Manila.
Rather than stealing valuables, Angelito and his devotees "knee-cap" the stiff corpses, using scalpels to extract the patella bones.
The 55-year-old then soaks the bones in coconut oil for several days to remove the skin while offering ''prayers and devotion'' to the spirits of their previous owners.
Followers believe the blessed knee caps act like ''guardian angels'' giving them protection from thieves and attackers in the country's drug-war ravaged slums.
Angelito – who admits that the practice is illegal – said: ''They are the knee caps of the deceased. We get them from the public cemeteries, of course.
They protect your family and take you away from harm's way, like gun shots.
''We don't know who they belong to. They're from different people.
"They are not my relatives but I offer prayers to them. They could protect my family.''
Angelito believes that the spirits of the dead people who the knee caps once belonged to will act like guardian angels because ''you are feeding them with prayers''.
He keeps the bones scattered around his hut and also wears them like lucky amulets, hanging around his neck or made into a belt around his waist.
PROTECTION POWERS
The pieces are not for sale, but only handed out to trusted friends and his inner circle of black magic devotees.
Angelito added: ''The benefit that the guardian angels from the patellas will bring is that they will help your livelihood.
"They won't abandon you. But it all depends if you're going to use the power for doing good.
''The knee caps are used for protection. They act as an assistant. Or they also work as a shield.
"They could guard your house, and defend you from those who would harm you.
''They can take you and your family out from harm's way and protect you from gun shots.
"They could work like a shield or protection.
''The kneecaps are not talismans. They need devotion and prayers.''
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