Adapted Article
Written by Jae Joseph Rodriguez, Rita Laude, PhD, Ma. Corazon de Ungria, PhD
STAR SCIENCE, Philippine Star
In the Philippines, conviction of sexual offenders mostly relies on
testimonial evidence provided by the victim or the victim’s family,
which may be prone to bias, subjectivity and fraud. Many cases involve
child victims who are very young and are likely to be scared of
informing others about the abuse.
DNA analysis provides the most powerful tool for human identification
and has been in the Philippines since the late 1990s. Unfortunately,
DNA testing has not been used routinely. The failure to properly
collect, store and analyze biological samples had prolonged the
suffering of a victim and her family. Moreover, other crimes could have
been prevented had the real perpetrator been identified and
incarcerated.
Because of the close, physical contact between victim and offender
during an assault, biological material from the assailant is almost
always left on the victim’s body. DNA collected from cases of sexual
assault is usually in the form of mixtures, with the offender’s (or
offenders’ as in the case of gang rape) DNA commingling with the
victim’s DNA. If not properly handled and stored, DNA obtained may be
degraded faster due to the tropical and humid environment in the
country. A highly robust system for DNA testing of sexual assault cases
from collection, handling, laboratory analysis and storage, is therefore
necessary.
