The House committee on higher and technical education chaired by Rep. Ann Hofer (District, Zamboanga Sibugay) approved a bill which seeks to create a Forensic Science Institute or FSI in the University of the Philippines.
The panel approved subject to style and amendments House Bill No. 417 entitled “An Act Establishing The Forensic Science Institute In The University Of The Philippines System, Defining Its Functions and Appropriating Funds Therefor” authored by Rep Evelina Escudero (1st District, Sorsogon).
In her sponsorship speech, Escudero said she re-sponsored the bill which she filed in the 15th Congress because of the recent case on DNA testing involving the killing of Kian Loyd delos Santos.
“I think this is just appropriate that we have this particular institute to be established in the University of the Philippines (UP),” she explained.
One of the objectives of the proposal is to promote research and development in the various fields of forensic science and advance the search for truth.
Another is to enhance the competencies and capabilities of existing laboratories in the country and prepare them for accreditation.
Likewise, it aims to develop a corps of professionals to prepare them for a career in forensic science and to train and upgrade the technical, scientific and management skills of personnel presently involved in the forensic science so as to improve the administration of justice.
As proposed, the UP Board of Regents is authorized to establish the FSI under the direct supervision of the Office of the President of the University. It shall have a faculty and staff with expertise in the disciplines of biology, chemistry, law, molecular biology, social sciences, statistics and other pertinent disciplines, who may be drawn within the UP system or outside.
Among the functions of FSI are to provide competent, scientific and advance medical and technical services for the detection and investigation of crimes; maintain a network of modern laboratories for the development and adoption of analytical methods and procedures related to forensic evidence as well as to undertake research in all fields of forensic science, among other things.
With regard to funding, P300 million shall be appropriated out of any fund in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated to carry out the objectives and provisions of the law from the date of its effectivity until the following fiscal year.
The proposal further states that sums necessary to carry out the provisions of the law shall be included in subsequent annual General Appropriations Act under the UP budget.
One of the resource persons, Dr. Raquel Fortun, College of Medicine professor from UP Manila, said she is familiar with the initiative to establish a Forensic Science Institute.
Fortun asked if the said bill is the same one authored by former Rep. Gilbert Teodoro because she knows its history.
“I was part of the drafting. I know the history. It was Rep. Teodoro who first came up with the idea of having an independent academic forensic institute,” Fortun explained.
Hofer asked Fortun her views on the bill, if she finds it important and timely for Congress to fund it
She said the passage of the bill is timely right now as the Philippines has very limited capabilities when it comes to forensic science.
Fortun said the UP Board of Regents had actually approved the Forensic Science Institute all the way back during the time of UP President Emil Javier but it never took off.
“What I know is that it’s already in place, it has not been repealed, it’s there but it has not been implemented yet.”
For his part, Rep. Rodel Batocabe (Party-list, AKO BICOL) inquired about the meaning of forensic science.
Fortun defined forensic science as the application of science to matters of the law hence, the word forensic.
“It is multi-disciplinary so any field of science can be applied to answer issues of, for example, identification of unidentified body in medicine, cause, and manner of death,” she clarified.
“You gather evidence and the physical evidence that you get from the scene, from the body could be studied, analyzed by the different fields, so it depends.”
Hofer then asked if there will be no duplication of functions between the PNP Crime Laboratory and the Forensic Science Institute.
Police Chief Inspector Lorna Santos said PNP welcomes the creation of FSI in a university because there is limited access to the discipline in terms of getting an academic degree in forensic science.
“As to duplication, the way we see it, there is duplication of function of the Crime Lab. We have existing forensic laboratories in the Philippines,” Santos explained.
Escudero countered that the function of FSI will not be a duplication of what the PNP Crime Lab is doing.
“It will actually enhance what you are doing because we are going to train professionals for this particular science and the reason while we are having this bill is [to provide] appropriate funding for this particular institute kasi wala pong pondo as of now,” she said.
Fortun clarified the spirit of the bill as it was originally written is that UP has no intention to take over the function of the different laboratories.
“We would not be offering services completely as it would be impossible. But we would take up the lack of training courses, because there’s none. We would like to develop fields in forensic science that are currently non-existent and also conduct research,” she said. (Congress)