Duterte to lead inauguration of Davao Region crime lab

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (ALBERT ALCAIN/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

DAVAO CITY — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday is expected to lead the inauguration of the multi-million Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory in Ecoland, Davao City.

The PNP’s Davao Crime Lab houses the state-of-the-art equipment including a high-end functional test DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) for hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms.

The President is also set to turn over the 26 patrol vehicles to the Police Regional Office (PRO) 11.

It may be recalled that the Crime Lab has upgraded its equipment to boost the crime-fighting capability of the police.

The equipment was part of the PHP98-million package for the PNP while the building cost about PHP50 million.

During the turnover of the equipment last year, PNP Crime Lab head Superintendent Georby Manuel said the equipment were high tech, state-of-the-art and would give the PNP a 100 percent accuracy on results.

The automated fingerprints can also be done by the Crime Lab in Davao.

The DNA testing lab could serve six regions in Mindanao: Region 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The use of the facilities would be free of charge for criminal investigation but a PHP20,000 fee for DNA test would be charged for civilian requests.

DNA testing is an important procedure in the identification of terror suspects or other criminal elements. (PNA)