PNP fails to get DNA sample from alleged terrorist’s body
Poor technology cited
By Thea Alberto
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 11:31:00 03/26/2008
MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine National Police has failed to get a DNA sample of the body suspected to be that of a terrorist bomb expert due to poor technology and the condition of the body itself, an official said.
Chief Superintendent Arturo Cacdac, director of the PNP's Crime Laboratory, said since they were not able to get DNA samples, there was no way they could check if it would match those extracted from the wife of Dulmatin, an alleged member of the Southeast Asian terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah.
"We cannot compare because we have no basis for comparison," said Cacdac in a phone interview.
"Yung makina natin dito hindi kaya so hindi tayo makaka-proceed sa [The equipment that we have here is not adequate so we cannot proceed with] step 2, which is to compare the samples," added Cacdac.
Cacdac said the body was also in its advanced stage of decomposition.
Cacdac said that the Nuclear DNA machine the laboratory had was not sufficient. What is needed is a mitochondrial machine, which has the capacity to extract DNA samples even from a decomposing cadaver, he added.
He said it was impossible at this point to confirm reports that the body belonged to Dulmatin, who was believed to be behind the 2002 Bali bombings which killed 100 people.
He added there was no other way to check if the body was that of Dulmatin.
Dulmatin, who has $10-million bounty on his head, sought refuge in the Philippines and was coddled by local terror group Abu Sayyaf. He was believed to have been fatally shot during an encounter, with his alleged body exhumed last February.
Cacdac said the report would be submitted to PNP Director General Avelino Razon.
Cacdac also said they were now coordinating with their Indonesian counterparts, following a report published in Jakarta Post that claimed the body was not Dulmatin’s.
"I requested the Directorate for Intelligence to contact our counterparts for us to know what the basis of their news item was," said Cacdac.
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