Forensics in the spotlight again

Once more, we are being treated to another spectacle, this time of the search for the cockfight aficionados (sabungeros) allegedly abducted and disappeared some years ago, who, according to an informant, were killed and dumped into Taal Lake.

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So far, Coast Guard divers have recovered five sacks containing alleged human bones from the spots where the bodies were said to be deposited, with the evidence now displayed on social media. Naturally, there were insinuations that these were fake, planted and so on.

However, to prove that these bones belonged to the missing sabungeros will not be that easy. It requires skills in several forensic sciences such as forensic pathology, forensic dentistry, forensic radiology, forensic anthropology and, if applicable, DNA testing and relating these bones to the nearest of kin, namely parents, children or siblings. There is no guarantee that there will be good quality DNA of usable quantity to perform testing on, considering these bones were submerged for a longtime in water which could have degraded DNA quality.

Therein lies the rub, as discussed in my previous column (Sad State of Forensics, Oct. 9, 2023), which laments the dearth of forensic scientists in these fields and more. If these cases were brought to court, the persons presented as expert witnesses in these fields who examined the bones better be prepared for a thorough grilling by the defense lawyers, or their testimony about the bones may end up being dismissed as not performed by bona fide experts.