Legal basis and related references
- The circular is anchored on Memorandum Circular 01-2013 (PNP Crime Laboratory Policy on Morgue Accreditation).
- The circular is also guided by Rule 18, Section 2 of the Police Operational Procedures (POP) Manual.
- The circular further references the Field Manual on Investigation.
- The circular cites Batas Pambansa 856 (Sanitation Code).
- The circular incorporates quality-management reference through the PNP Crime Laboratory ISO 9001 International Standard Quality Manual.
Purpose and policy intent
- The circular provides guidelines and procedures for Investigators-on-Case, Scene of Crime Operations (SOCO) team, and accredited funeral morgues.
- The circular governs removal/retrieval/transfer of cadavers and human remains and their transport from the crime scene/hospital to the accredited morgue for forensic examination.
- The circular directs proper handling for forensic investigation and examination, particularly for autopsy and related forensic work.
Definitions for key terms
- Autopsy is defined as a medical procedure (also known as postmortem examination, autopsia cadaverum, or obduction) consisting of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate disease or injury that may be present.
- Forensic examination is defined as a scientific examination concerning special medical and biological problems arising in the course of a judicial investigation, performed at the request of investigating bodies or the court to establish case information.
- Histopathological examination is defined as a procedure to determine the cause of death through microscopic tissue examination.
- Morgue is defined as a place where bodies of unknown dead persons or those dead of unknown causes are kept to be identified, examined/autopsied, and prepared before burial or cremation.
- Morgue Accreditation is defined as a process where certification of a morgue is presented for its competency, authority, or credibility for autopsy use.
- Medico-Legal Officer is defined as a trained physician employing recognized forensic procedures and techniques to assist PNP investigators and other investigative agencies through autopsy, physical examination, and other forensic examinations.
- Postmortem examination is defined as an external examination of a dead body without incision, though blood and other body fluids may be collected.
Scope of application and coverage
- The circular applies to all Investigator-on-Case of police offices/units from the national, regional, provincial, city, and municipal levels.
- The circular applies to SOCO members of the PNP Crime Laboratory.
- The circular applies to accredited funeral morgues handling human remains/cadavers involved in an incident under investigation.
- The covered activities include handling cadavers involved in criminal cases and forensic investigation/examination contexts, including transfer from crime scene/hospital to an accredited morgue.
Procedures for cadaver removal and handling
- All cadavers (including those in a decomposed state) involved in criminal cases or with potential criminal bearing must be properly turned over by the Investigator-on-Case to the SOCO Team Leader or the Medico-Legal Officer for the conduct of autopsy.
- Recovered human remains and dismembered body parts as vital forensic evidence must be brought to a PNP accredited morgue for possible identification.
- For decapitated and mutilated corpses, forensic examination, identification, and comparison must be performed preferably in the morgue where the head is kept.
- Cadavers must 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 must supervise the inventory and security of the cadaver’s personal belongings.
- The SOCO Team Leader must identify properties and clothing usable as evidence and must turn them over to the SOCO Evidence Custodian; insignificant personal belongings must be handed to the Investigator-on-Case for proper disposition or to the nearest kin.
- Immediate collection of biological samples likely to vanish or deteriorate during transport must be prioritized.
- An identification tag must be placed on the body, and markings must be placed on the body bag.
- The SOCO Team Leader must supervise removal of cadavers/human remains/body parts from the crime scene and facilitate transport to the PNP Crime Laboratory morgue or to any PNP accredited funeral morgue where autopsy and other forensic examinations will be conducted.
- In the absence of a SOCO Team Leader, the Investigator-on-Case must facilitate transfer to an accredited morgue.
- Medico-Legal Officers may conduct appropriate collection and examination of evidence during autopsy for other forensic examinations such as DNA test, blood alcohol determination, toxicology, etc.
- The Investigator-on-Case must be responsible for retrieval and collection of pieces of evidence from the body of cadavers brought to a hospital facility.
Autopsy conduct, fees, release, and special cases
- PNP personnel must ensure that the cadaver is protected from any contamination.
- PNP personnel are prohibited from referring services of a funeral morgue.
- Family preference must be prioritized as to which funeral parlor shall be availed of, provided the morgue is duly accredited by the PNP.
- If the family chooses a funeral parlor other than the morgue where the cadaver was brought or autopsied, settlement of fees and related issues must be between the family and the funeral parlor, must be commensurate with services provided, and must not be exorbitant.
- There are no fees for autopsy of cadavers, human remains, or body parts related to criminal cases; or corpses with undetermined causes of death; or corpses declared dead on arrival (DOA) by hospitals.
- The PNP Crime Laboratory morgue must accommodate storage of cadavers not exceeding 12-hours from the estimated time of death considering practical limitations and reduction of evidentiary value.
- Beyond 12-hours, storage and safekeeping must be referred to a PNP accredited morgue.
- For non-criminal cases where families opt for autopsy, the fee for gross autopsy is Php1,200.00 and the fee for Histopathological examinations is Php1,000.00, payable through the Land Bank of the Philippines.
- For unidentified cadavers, request for autopsy from the Investigator-on-Case is required and must be considered sufficient in the absence of the immediate family or nearest of kin, especially within 12-hours from the estimated time of death.
- When the cadaver is examined in the PNP CL morgue, the examining Medico-Legal Officer must be responsible for release of the cadaver to the immediate family member/nearest kin with proper documentation.
- If the immediate family member/nearest kin authorizes a funeral parlor, an authorization letter must be presented by the latter.
- If the victim is a foreigner, the embassy of the victim must be notified, and consent from the nearest kin or representative from the concerned embassy must be obtained prior to autopsy.
- For foreign victims, the examining Medico-Legal Officer must be responsible for release of the cadaver to the immediate family member/nearest kin/concerned embassy with proper documentation.
- For religious considerations, a request for postmortem examination must be accompanied by a waiver or a letter requesting non-dissection, signed by the nearest kin.
- For religious requests, the Medico-Legal Officer must inform the requesting party that such request results in an incomplete examination compared to an autopsy.
Repeal of inconsistent issuances and amendments
- All issuances, memoranda, rules, and regulations issued by the PNP that are inconsistent with this circular are deemed repealed and amended accordingly.