Text by: Angelou C. Mendoza
Photo by: Joseph A. Bautista
There is a need for more forensic experts to improve death investigations in the country.
This insight emerged from a discussion led by UP Manila Department of Pathology Chairperson Dr. Raquel Del Rosario-Fortun during the fourth Forensic Science and Criminal Justice International Lecture Series on April 5 and 6, 2024 at the Holy Angel University (HAU) in Angeles, Pampanga.
Dr. Fortun, also known as the “Mother of Forensic Pathology” in the Philippines, conducted examinations on several victims of the so-called “war on drugs” and uncovered significant irregularities in the conduct of their autopsy investigations. She made headlines when she revealed a disparity in the cause of death officially recorded as “natural” in death certificates contrary to her findings which indicated homicide. One of which was the case of Kian delos Santos, a 17-year-old boy who was fatally shot by police in 2017 and whose death sparked global outrage. Reports said delos Santos was found dead, bent in a fetal position, in a dark alley in Caloocan City in 2017 with a gun in his left hand. Police said the boy fought back during an anti-drug operation but his family insisted he was right-handed. Policemen involved in the shooting incident were later charged with murder.
Aside from this, Dr. Fortun also led the autopsy investigation of another drug war victim, Jemboy Baltazar, and the postmortem examination of slain newsman Percy Lapid. Fortun’s examinations provided evidence contradicting police narratives at the height of the drug war. She coined the term “Autop-silip”, which entails making only superficial incisions on the skin or a part of the body.
“This is the reality in the Philippines and this is my challenge to you. Please accept the fact that we are having all these killings because our institutions are weak, our investigations are bad, and our criminal justice system is really poor. And that’s why we have the setting for human rights abuses and nothing less than impunity,” Fortun said during the program. In the country, only two individuals hold internationally recognized licenses as forensic experts: Doctors Raquel Fortun and Cecilia Lim.
Despite the challenges posed by the flawed death investigation system in the country, Dr. Fortun found a glimmer of hope in 2023. This came with the initiation of a collaboration between the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the UP College of Medicine, aimed at investigating deaths of individuals under police custody.
Similarly, a strategic plan for the development of a forensic institute in the country was spearheaded by Dr. Stephen Cordner, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Forensic Medicine in Monash University, Australia in 2023.
Prof. Ma. Teresa De Guzman, Professor at the Department of Behavioral Sciences (DBS), College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), discussed the topic, “Challenges and Innovations in Humanitarian Forensics and Disaster Victim Identification in the Philippines.” Dr. De Guzman differentiated hazards from disasters and related them to humanitarian forensic, highlighting the role of a forensic anthropologist during disasters.
“If there are skeletons found, stop all the work when human remains are found. Call the archaeologists and also the anthropologists. So, it is crucial to treat the area as a potential crime scene, until proven otherwise,” she explained.
The forensic discussions were followed by lectures from
and “Application of Forensic Psychology in Criminal Investigation” by PCPT Jeric C. Manalili, Chief Psychologist from Regional Medical and Dental Unit 2 (RMDU 2), Police Regional Office 2.
Speakers on the second day of the event were Dr. Ranjet Singh, Director of Sherlock Institute of Forensic Science – India, Dr. Kimberly Plomp, Associate Professor and Head of the Human Osteoarchaeology Laboratory in the School of Archaeology of the University of the Philippines Diliman, Dr. Jose I. Dela Rama, Jr., Dean of Tarlac State University, School of Law, Atty. Jewel O. Dela Cruz, Country Program Manager for the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, Dr. Maria Corazon A. De Ungria, Head of DNA Analyst Laboratory of the National Sciences Research Institute & Chair, Research Ethics Committee, UP Diliman, and Atty. Aloi Renz P. Santos, Attorney IV of the Commission on Human Rights – Region III.
The first day of the event also saw a signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for joint research activities and exchange of academic expertise led by UP Manila Chancellor Michael L. Tee and Holy Angel University – Angeles, Pampanga OIC – President Mr. Leopoldo N. Valdes. Creating curriculum and new programs in forensic science is beneficial for launching a new graduate degree program at UP Manila, specifically under the Department of Behavioral Sciences, CAS – the MS Forensic Behavioral Sciences.