Lourdes Silawan plants a kiss on the photo of placed on top of the coffin of her daughter Christine Lee on he night of her wake on Sunday, March 17, 2019, hours after learning that a key suspect in her child’s gruesome murder has been arrested. |CDND Photo/Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI – 7), the lead investigating team tasked to solve the killing of church collector Christine Lee Silawan, will stick to the autopsy findings of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
This after they observed that the autopsy results conducted by the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) did not coincide with those from the PNP Crime Laboratory.
Dr. Rene Cam, medico-legal officer of NBI – 7, announced this during a press conference on Thursday evening, April 4.
“We will stick with the findings of Dr. Benjamin Lara (head, PNP Crime Laboratory in Central Visayas),” Cam said.
Last Tuesday, April 2, the forensic team of PAO said that Silawan was raped, and her face burned with sulfuric acid.
They cited the presence of hematoma in the victim’s genitalia.
READ MORE: PAO’s autopsy findings: Silawan was raped, face burned with sulfuric …
It was contrary to the initial findings of PNP Crime Laboratory-7 in which they suspected that Silawan could not have been raped since there were no fresh wounds indicating rape.
Citing findings from the police, Cam said there was no hematoma found during the autopsy.
“Actually, it was not present in the first autopsy. What was only mentioned were the two lacerations, and then there were no recent injuries or genital injuries,” he said.
Cam also explained to reporters that hematoma is “a reaction of the skin antemortem or meaning when the person is alive.”
“If there would be any hematoma inflicted before she died, it will remain as a hematoma. A hematoma cannot appear after the person is dead because the tissues will no longer react,” he added.
Cam said further tests were being conducted by the PNP Crime Laboratory to determine if Silawan was raped.
“We will be waiting for the results of further laboratory tests because Dr. Lara also conducted a vaginal swab,” said Cam. /dbs