Reporters:
Martin, Alvin Jae
Reblando, Laurena
Rivera, Charles Neil
History
Hippocrates (460-355 BC) – discussed lethality of wounds
Antistius – he is the forensic pathologist who performed
an autopsy on Julius Cesar (100-44 BC) and found out that
Julius Cesar suffered from 23 wounds, only one penetrated
the chest cavity through the space between the first and
second ribs.
Song Ci – Father of forensic medicine. He published a 5
volume book on forensic medicine that was useful
reference for the Justice bureaucracy, His Yuan Lu
(Instructions to Coroner), included topics like abortion,
infanticide, drowning, poisoning, examination of dead
Forensics in the Philippines
1858 - first medical textbook related to medico-legal practice by Spanish
Physician Dr. Rafael Genard y Mas
1871 - Legal Medicine was included as a subject in the School of Medicine of
Real y Pontifica Universidad de Santo Tomas
1895 – Medico-legal laboratory was established in the City of Manila
December 10, 1937 – CA . 181 was passed creating the Division of Investigation
under the Department of Justice. Medico-Legal Section was an integral part
and Dr. Gregorio Lantin was chief
June 19, 1947 – RA 157 created the Bureau of Investigation
June 18, 1949 – RA 409 – creation of the Office of the Medical Examiners and
Criminal Investigation Laboratory under the Police Department of the City of
Manila
Major agencies of government concerned with
forensic investigations:
National Bureau of Investigation – Taft Avenue,
Manila
Philippine National Police – Camp Crame, Quezon
City- Scene of the Crime Operation (SOCO Units)
Local Crime Laboratories
FORENSIC SCIENCE
It is the application of scientific principles and
techniques to the legal process in support of the
proper administration of justice.
It is the quest for truth aided by scientific techniques
CMO 48(2012)
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES: CMO 48(2012)
Scientific Crime Investigation
Law Enforcement
Forensic Science Education
Foreign or International Agencies
Research/Analysis/Evaluation of forensic evidence in
courts of law.
Forensic scientists may be divided into
three, major groups:
Forensic Pathologists
Forensic Scientists
Associated Scientists
Kinds of Forensic Science
Forensic Entomology – application of knowledge about insects, insect
identification; knowledge of their developmental and reproductive stages to
deal with legal problems such as time of death, and reconstruction of crime
scene.
Forensic Odontology – the application odontology to legal problems such as
identification of human remains, and analysis of bitemarks
Forensic Anthropology – discipline concerned with study of skeletonised
human remains as they apply to identification, determination of age, sex,
presence of trauma or disease, includes both anthropology and archaeology.
Forensic Toxicology – discipline that concerns itself with a study on drugs
and metabolites in biological fluids with application in medico-legal cases;
study of poisons and the different types of poisoning.
Forensic Chemistry – scientific examination and identification of physical
evidence such as blood and seminal fluids, gunpowder residues, explosives,
hairs and fibers, tool marks, glass fragments/fractures, paints and soil
DNA Analysis – use of DNA to elucidate legal problems including
identification of body fluids, stains, and determination of species.
Forensic instrumentation - analytical chemistry such as spectroscopy (how a
material absorbs light – comparison of paint chips, textile fibers),
chromatography(techniques to separate mixtures of solids or liquids into
individual components for analysis of drugs, explosive residues) and
microscopy as applied to forensic examinations.
Forensic Computer Science – the application of knowledge on computers
and technology to elucidate legal problems such as recovery and analysis of
digital evidence, documentation and interpretation of computer data, and
other legal issues involving use of computer or networks as a tool or target in
the commission of the crime.
Types of Forensic Analysis:
DNA
This type of forensic analysis is useful in solving crimes
and determining paternity.
Computer
This type of forensic analysis is useful when
investigating matters such as corporate fraud,
intellectual property theft and threats of violence.
While a user may delete a file or email, the information
remains on the hard drive.
Handwriting
Handwriting analysis is useful for behavioral profiling
and matching any handwriting left at the scene of a
crime.
Bloodstain Pattern analysis
It is a method of analyzing the bloodstains left at the
scene of a crime.
Forensic statement analysis –
It is a method of investigating an individual’s
statement of events, such as a confession, kidnapping
note or terrorist threat.
Questioned Document Examination
Study of all types of questioned documents including
handwriting analysis, examination of signatures, study of
document alterations of obliterations and examination of
counterfeit bills
Forensic Photography
documentation of crime scene and physical evidence
Dactyloscopy
Study of fingerprint principles in criminal investigation
Polygraphy
Specific detection of deception in relation to criminal
investigation.
Ballistics and Firearms
Firearms experts focus on ammunition, the weapon that fired it, how to
match them up, the trajectory of a shot (or its ricochet) and more.
Arson and Explosives
A strong understanding of a variety of explosives and accelerants, as
well as flashpoints and burn patterns, forms the basis of arson and
explosives investigations.
Fingerprints
The prints left behind can mean anything from identification of key
parties to a solid conviction of a perpetrator. Fingerprint analysis is one
of the oldest and most common ways to determine who was at a crime
scene.
Trace Evidence
During the commission of a crime, even the most seasoned
criminal leaves something behind. It might be as simple as
skin cells under a victim’s nails, a single strand of hair, or a
seemingly innocuous fiber from a sweater – forensic
scientists can drill down into the essence of this evidence to
find much more.
Accident Reconstruction
When an accident occurs, it falls to the forensic scientist to
figure out what exactly happened. To do this, they
reconstruct the exact conditions of the accident, using
clues such as skid marks, vehicle positioning and the like.
