PAO forensic expert says DNA testing not conclusive

The Public Attorney's Office (PAO) is neither alarmed nor bothered by police findings showing that the body found in Gapan, Nueva Ecija, last week was not that of 14-year-old Reynaldo "Kulot" de Guzman.

In an interview on QRT on Monday, PAO Forensic Lab director Dr. Erwin Erfe said DNA tests, like what the Philippine National Police (PNP) conducted, are not conclusive.

"Hindi po conclusive ang DNA testing," Erfe said. "Ito po ay nagkakamali at depende rin sa interpretasyon ng nagko-conduct ng examination."

Erfe, however, said they were surprised by the PNP Crime Lab's findings especially because De Guzman's body was positively identified by his parents based on his physical characteristics like warts and moles.

"Ginagalang po namin 'yung opinyon ng PNP pero sa tingin po namin ay napaka-accurate ng pagka-identify doon kay Kulot ng mga magulang [niya]. Kami po ay naniwala doon," he said.

He added that even the Commission on Human Rights and the National Bureau of Investigation were able to confirm the body was that of De Guzman's before the DNA examination.

De Guzman was the companion of 19-year-old UP student Carl Angelo Arnaiz on the night they went missing in Cainta, Rizal. Arnaiz's body was later found by his parents at a morgue in Caloocan City.

Caloocan police claimed Arnaiz was killed in a shootout after he robbed a taxi driver in the wee hours of August 18. The driver surfaced over the weekend but said he brought Arnaiz alive to the police station.

According to Erfe, PAO, which is helping De Guzman's family seek justice, has had several experiences in the past regarding errors in the conduct of DNA testing.

Asked about PAO's next move following the PNP's findings, Erfe said they would continue to monitor the case and will seek validation of the DNA test results.

"Tututukan lang namin po ito at gagawa ng further examination, titignan natin, iba-validate natin kung valid ang opinion ang PNP Crime Lab, dahil hindi po conclusive ang DNA testing," he said. —KBK/KVD, GMA News