No re-autopsy for slain Cebu mall saleslady, RFU-7 clarifies
Authorities here have identified the saleslady who was found lifeless and naked inside her rented house in Barangay Bulacao, Cebu City, on Friday afternoon, August 2. | Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines – There will be no re-autopsy of murder victim Charina Baoy Relativo because it is not necessary.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Lara, Medico Legal Officer at the Regional Forensic Unit 7 (RFU-7), clarified this in an interview with CDN Digital.
Lara explained this to clear up any confusion after the police announced that a new test was ordered on Relativo’s body due to expired testing kits.
During a press forum on Tuesday, August 6, Police Colonel Antonietto Cañete, acting city director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said that a new autopsy exam will be done because the testing kits were found to be expired.
Cañete stated that he insisted on a new test in order to determine the final result of the autopsy.
Lara, for his part, asserted that they will not be re-conducting the autopsy exam as they have already determined its result.
“Definitely, a re-autopsy will not be done because it is not necessary. The autopsy was done. It was done properly. And as a matter of fact, there is already an autopsy result. Let me be clear on that,” he said.
READ: Mall saleslady found dead, naked in Cebu City home identified
Cebu mall saleslady found dead in Bulacao home, rape suspected
Lara is not allowed to reveal the exam results.
On the matter of the expired kits, he clarified that the kits were meant to be used for the serological examination that they initially planned to do.
The serological examination will determine if there is semen present in Relativo’s swab, he explained.
The exam is necessary to verify speculations that the murder victim was raped by the suspect, Darren Somosot Cui, before she was strangled to death.
When they discovered that the kits for the serological test were already expired, they decided not to go forward with the exam and to use DNA testing as basis.
He highlighted that DNA is even more suitable for this case as it will not only detect the presence of a male profile but also identify to whom it belongs to through profiling.
“DNA is the more significant, more specific test that we will be doing. Yung DNA kasi, makukuha diyan kung merong male profile dun sa swab and to whom this male profile belongs. Does it belong to the partner of the victim? Or does it belong to the suspect? If ever nga naay male profile,” said Lara.
For the necessary forensic tests, the medico legal officer in charge of the case took a total of six swabs from Relativo’s body.
According to Lara, at least one or two swabs will be needed for the DNA test but they took extra swabs to be sure.
Authorities will have to wait for the results of the DNA exam, which may take weeks, in order to determine if a rape took place.
“Definitely, there is no mistake. Na-autopsy. Merong results ang autopsy. Nakuhaan siya ng swab na more than the necessary amount para sigurado. That’s why we did not proceed anymore with the serological examination,” added Lara.
Meanwhile, Inayawan police have filed charges of illegal possession of firearms, arson, and murder filed against Cui who is still detained at the station.
The acting city director also disclosed that Relativo’s case is now considered closed and that they are confident that the suspect will be convicted for his crime. /clorenciana
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