Palace: Japan’s forensic equipment donation seen to boost PH human rights

The donation of new forensic equipment from Japan’s Ministry of Justice will strengthen the country’s capacity to uphold justice and human rights, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said on Thursday.

Bersamin said this was aligned with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s governance agenda of transparency, accountability, and respect for human dignity.

He said the donation of new forensic equipment from Japan’s Ministry of Justice was both a gesture of compassion and a boost to the country’s forensic capacity through local and international partnerships.

“At first glance, handing over autopsy instruments can feel like a clinical moment,” Bersamin said in a statement.

“Yet this simple act is charged with compassion: it affirms that every life, no matter how brief, deserves respect, and that even in loss, we are committed to honoring dignity, comforting those who grieve, and uncovering the truth,” he added.

He also described the handover of autopsy instruments to the University of the Philippines Manila (UPM) as more than a technical upgrade.

The Presidential Communications Office said that the handover marked another significant milestone in the ongoing establishment of the National Forensics Institute (NFI), which is a global pledge of the Philippines at the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland, in December 2023. –NB, GMA Integrated News