QuestionsQuestions (PNP MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NUMBER 2014-006)
To provide guidelines and procedures for investigators, SOCO teams, and accredited funeral morgues regarding removal/retrieval/transfer/transport of cadavers and human remains from the crime scene or hospital to an accredited morgue for forensic examination.
All Investigator-on-Case from national to municipal levels, members of Scene of Crime Operations (SOCO) of the PNP Crime Laboratory, and accredited funeral morgues handling human remains/cadavers in incidents being investigated.
The SOCO Team Leader or the Medico-Legal Officer for the conduct of autopsy.
To a PNP accredited morgue for possible identification, because such remains are vital forensic evidence and may require identification/comparison procedures.
Preferably in the morgue where the head is being kept.
Cadavers should be ideally wrapped with linen before being placed into the cadaver bag by trained personnel under the supervision of the SOCO Team Leader.
The SOCO Team Leader shall supervise the inventory and security of the personal belongings, identify those that may be used as evidence, and turn them over to the SOCO Evidence Custodian.
They should be handed over to the Investigator-on-Case for proper disposition or to the nearest kin.
Immediate collection of all biological samples likely to vanish or deteriorate during transport must be prioritized to preserve forensic value.
An identification tag must be placed on the body and markings must be placed on the body bag.
The SOCO Team Leader supervises removal and facilitates transport to the PNP Crime Laboratory morgue or a PNP accredited funeral morgue for autopsy and forensic examination; if absent, the Investigator-on-Case facilitates transfer to an accredited morgue.
Yes. PNP personnel are prohibited from referring services of funeral morgue.
No fees for autopsy of cadavers, human remains, or body parts related to criminal cases, or corpses with undetermined causes of death, or those declared dead on arrival (DOA) by hospitals.
Not exceeding 12 hours from the estimated time of death. Beyond 12 hours, storage and safekeeping must be referred to a PNP accredited morgue.
Gross autopsy: Php1,200.00 and Histopathological examination: Php1,000.00, paid through the Land Bank of the Philippines.
A request for autopsy from the Investigator-on-Case is required and should be considered sufficient in the absence of the immediate family/nearest kin, especially within 12 hours from the estimated time of death.
If the immediate family member/nearest kin authorizes a funeral parlor, an authorization letter should be presented.
The embassy of the victim must be notified and consent from the nearest kin or a representative from the concerned embassy must be obtained prior to autopsy; the examining Medico-Legal Officer is responsible for release to the nearest kin/concerned embassy with proper documentation.
A waiver or letter requesting non-dissection must be signed by the nearest kin; the Medico-Legal Officer must inform the requesting party that such request is an incomplete examination compared to an autopsy.