UP Ibalon Bicol: Lack of forensic science logistics in the Maguindanao massacre probe

Lack of forensic science logistics in the Maguindanao massacre probe

11/27/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

It is like what happened to the sinking of the passenger ship Princess of the Sea at the height of a typhoon which drowned 800 or more people on June 22, 2008. The Maguindanao political massacre is posing the same problem for the investigators. The basic lack of facilities to store 57 dead bodies has hampered the probe.

The government has not done anything new to prepare for instances of mass deaths. With the global outrage over the barbaric bloodbath, the Philippines is under pressure by the human rights groups and the United Nations (UN) to come out with a clean and fair pursuit of justice.

Dr. Ben Molino who works in the group CenterLaw Philippines said he feels sad for government doctors who have to face the lack of logistics to deal with the investigation of a massacre with so many fatalities. The working conditions of the probers are bad, endangeriing and probably compromising the integrity of the investigation results. Such helplessness and embarassment have obviously been ignored by the Philippine authorities.

The investigators quickly dug the bodies by a land-fill excavator and by hands without employing caution to preserve as much evidence. Gloves were hard to find. They employ the crude lime to retard the decomposition of the bodies, many wrapped in banana leaves in the absence of freezers.

“Dr. Molino lamented that there were no refrigerators to store the bodies, nor even just air-conditioning. In a CenterLaw Philippines report, he said: “They could have at least used lime to slow down the process of composition but I did not see any indication that they did that."”—GMAnews.Tv (November 21,/2009)

Obviously, the morale of the medico-legal investigators is low. It is reported that their autopsies have been “completed,” but the doctors refuse to be interviewed. Their initial findings point to gunshot wounds as the cause of the victim's death. But it is unsure whether they have identified the brutalized bodies for proper disposition.

I have occasions of working with Dr. Ben Molino in the 1980's in similar difficult probe situations. I feel there is nothing much which changed to improve the state of forensic science in the Philippines. It is an area that the government must urgently look into to bring justice and avoid embarrassing the country in the world.(Photo Credits: Erik de Castro/ Reuters x 2) =0=

RELATED BLOG: "The Ferry Tragedy: Lack Of Body Bags And The Dearth Of Forensic Expertise" Posted by mesiamd at 6/27/2008; Maguindanao Massacre: death toll climbs with 22 mediamen dead Posted by mesiamd at 11/25/2009; Maguindanao bloodbath blamed on Ampatuans Posted by mesiamd at 11/24/2009
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Labels: autopsy, Dr. Ben Molino, forensic investigation, Justice, Maguindanao, Massacre, medico-legal, murder, politics, Totie Mesia, United Nations

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Lack of forensic science logistics in the Maguindanao massacre probe

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