INLOCNA, ZENDY H.

08/23/18

FORCHM (TTH-3:30-5:00)

HISTORY OF THE CRIME LAB IN THE PHILIPPINES

1858
- 1st Medical Textbook Printed
- Medico-legal practice by Chief Army Physician
- Dr. Rafael Genard y Ms
- “Manual de Medicina Domestica”

1871
- Teaching of Legal Medicine

March 31, 1876

- Creation of position of “Medico Titulares”
- Virtue of Royal Decree No.188 of the king of Spain

MEDICO TITULARES
- In charge of Public Sanitation
- Medico-legal aid in the administration of justice

December 15, 1884

- Creation of a Committee to study mineral waters of Luzon by Gen. Joaquin
Jovellar
- Anacleto del Rosario as the chemist

1894
- Rules regulating the services of “Medico Titulares y Forences”

1898
- Preservation of the Spanish Forensic Medicine System by the
American Civil Government.

1899
- Establishment of the first Crime Laboratory by the US. Army
- Locard’s Exchange Principle
- By Edmond Locard (1877-1966)
- “Ëvery contact leaves a trace”
September 13, 1887
- Laboratorio Municipal de Manila was created
- Managed by Direccion General de Administracion Civil
- Controlled by Gobierno de Provincias
Functions
Analyses of:
a. Food
b. Water
c. Materials from standpoint of Public Health and Legal Medicine
d. Specimens for Clinical Purposes

June 17, 1888

- Appointment of Anacleto del Rosario as Director

1894
- Creation of Laboratorio Medico- legal
- Under the Judicial branch of government
- Under the direction of a physician
- Assisted by a pharmacist-chemist
- Ulpiano Rodriguez as first chemist

1895
- Antonio Luna established a clinical laboratory
- Function: Chemical Analysis
- Paralyzed in 1896 because of the Revolution

1899
- First Scientific Laboratory on the banks of Pasig River
- Lt. R.P. Strong, an american who took charge for 2 years

1900
- Actual Scientific work begun under the initiative of Dean C. Worcester

July 1, 1901
- Bureau of Government Laboratories (BGL) was created
- By virtue of Act No.156 by the Civil Commission
- Dr. Paul C. Freer became the 1st director on June 21 but assumed position on
September 21.

Purpose of BGL
- Performing biological and chemical analyses
- Reproduction of vaccines and sera
More in 1901…
- Creation of Provincial Insular and Municipal Board of Health (Act Nos. 157,
307 and 308) by Philippine Commission
- Performed Medico-Legal Duties of the “Medico- Titulares” ¨ Philippine
Constabulary had its own Crime Laboratory

1908
- Incorporation of the teaching of Legal Medicine and Ethics in the Philippine
Medical School (UP)
- Dr. Sixto de los Angeles as Chief
- Salary of 4,000.00 pesos/annum half time basis

March 11, 1915

- Department of Legal Medicine was created
- Dr. Sixto de los Angeles was appointed the Head
- Conferred authority to collect materials in the interest of Medico-legal
questions

January 10, 1922

- The head of the Department of Legal Medicine and Ethics became the Chief
of the Medico- Legal Department of the Philippine General Hospital without
pay.

March 10, 1922

- Department of Legal Medicine of the UP as the branch of the Department of
Justice.
- Act No. 2465 of the Philippine Legislature

October 14, 1942

- Legal Medicine as branch of the DOJ and at the same time an integral part of
UP
- Act No. 3043

December 10, 1937

- Creation of the Division of Investigation (DI) under the Department of Justice
Commonwealth Act No. 181
- Medico-legal as part of the division
- Dr. Gregorio T Lantin as Chief

March 31, 1938

- Department of Legal Medicine was abolished
- Was turned over to the medico- legal section of the DI.
October 1939
- Philippine Constabulary having its own medico-legal office with chemical
laboratory
- Assisting in the investigation of crimes within their jurisdiction

July 4, 1942
- President Jose P. Laurel consolidated by E.O. all different Law Enforcing
Agencies
- Creation of the Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on May 8. 1944 under RA
157.
1945
- Creation of the Criminal Investigation Laboratory with the office of the
Medical Examiner by the Provost Marshall of US. Army
- Dr. Mariano Lara as the Chief Medical Examiner

Manila Police Department

- Had its own criminalistic facilities and equipment several years back

National Bureau of Investigation

- Performed medico-legal works
- Activation

PC CRIME LAB in 1945

- Activation of the Fingerprint Identification Unit of G-2 (Intelligence) by
the Armed Forces of the Western Pacific (WESPAC) of the Military
Police Command of Philippine Army

Contributors
- US Army Lt. Nathaniel Darby
- Capt. Agapit Figueroa
- Commented on the many shortcomings in terms of equipment and
facilities
- Forensic Chemistry added to the Fingerprints Unit
- Criminal Investigation Services (CIS) was
established in the Constabulary

1947
- Ballistics, Photography and Fingerprint Record Unit was changed to
Criminal Laboratory Branch of the Constabulary
- Headed by Capt. Agapit Figueroa
 1951
- Medico-legal Section was created
under Col. Jesus T. Mendoza ¨
New sections added like:
1. Mobile Unit
2. Lie Detection Section
3. Physical Identification Section

1959
- Technical Laboratory Branch got its independent status
- Designated as PC Forensic Laboratory
- Philippine Constabulary Laboratory soon became the PNP Crime
Laboratory with the abolition of the PC.

At Present
Two (2) distinct crime laboratory in the Philippines:
a. Forensic Chemistry Division of the NBI
b. PNP Crime Laboratory

REFERENCE: Lecture notes in Forensic Chemistry prepared by Dam Delizo-Corbilla

Mathieu Joseph Buenaventure Orfila (1787-1853): Father of Modern

Forensic Toxicology
Sir Francis Galton: Finger Prints
Edmond Locard
Alphonse Bertillion
Carl Wilhelm Scheele
James Marsh