Leighzanne Keith F.

Canonizado

BS Psychology III- Forensic Chemistry Lec

A. Definition of Forensic Chemistry

The application of chemistry to the study of materials or problems in cases where the
findings may be presented as technical evidence in a court of law.

B. Scope of Forensic Chemistry

Forensic science is a broad field and diverges into six primary areas:

 Forensic anthropology.
 Forensic engineering.
 Forensic odontology.
 Forensic pathology.
 Forensic entomology.
 Toxicology.

The scope of Forensic Chemistry include the application and or development of any
molecular and atomic spectrochemical technique, electrochemical techniques, sensors, surface
characterization techniques, mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, chemometrics and
statistics, and separation sciences (e.g. chromatography) that provide insight into the forensic
analysis of materials.

C. Development of Scientific Crime Laboratory in the Philippines

The PNP Crime Laboratory traces its origin from the Fingerprint Section of the G-2
Division of the Military Police Command Armed Forces in the West Pacific of the United States
Army (AFWESPAC), organized in May 19, 1945. Later on, it was upgraded into a branch and
renamed as Crime Laboratory branch of the Criminal Investigation Service (CIS), the
investigative arm of the Philippine Constabulary (PC).

The Laboratory underwent several reorganizations and changes of names. It was

reorganized on May 26, 1959 as a separate Unit of the PC under Table of Organization and
Equipment 3-07 (TO and 3-07) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and was renamed as PC
Forensic Labora tory. On December 1, 1960, pursuant TO and E03, the unit was renamed as the
PC Central Crime Laboratory and on June 28, 1961, it was activated as a separate unit of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines pursuant to Special Order Number 453 GHQAFP.
 The National Headquarters of the Crime Laboratory in Camp Crame was constructed
during the term of the then Philippine Constabulary Chief, Brigadier General Vi cente Raval on
December 4, 1968. The construction was completed on July 22, 1969, coinciding with its official
designation as the PC Crime Laboratory (PCCL) pursuant to Headquarters Philippine
Constabulary General Order Number 23.

In June of 1972, the Crime Laboratory was established through the directive issued by
National Police Commission Chairman Crispin M De Castro. Training courses in various fields
of Forensic Science were offered to students and would-be investigators of the Philippine
Constabulary/Integrated National Police.

The Crime Laboratory had continuous improvements in the following years in order to
serve the people more effectively. In 1975, scientific equipment were acquired through the War
Reparations Program of the Japanese Government under the authority of HPC GO Nr 23 where
in twelve (12) regional units were established.

With the merging of the Philippine Constabulary and the Integrated National Police (INP)
on May 16,1985, PCCL was re-designated as PC/INP Crime Laboratory Service (CLS) as per
HPC GO Nr 64

On October 1991, the Crime Laboratory was transferred to Camp Mariano Castañeda in
Silang, Cavite pursuant to RA 6975. On 01 October 1993, it was revitalized and served as a
Training Division of the National Police College.

An ISO Certified Unit since 2006, CL maintained its K certification to ensure the
effective and efficient delivery of forensic services to the public.

D. Stages in the practice of Forensic Chemistry

 Microscopical examination.
 Staining test.
 Salability.
 Chemical and physical methods of analysis.

E. Role of Forensic Chemist

A forensic chemist is a professional chemist who analyzes evidence that is brought in

from crime scenes and reaches a conclusion based on tests run on that piece of evidence. A
forensic chemist’s job is to identify and characterize the evidence as part of the larger process of
solving a crime. Forensic chemists rarely conduct any investigative work; they handle the
evidence collected from the crime scene.

F. Witness and its kinds

Forensic scientists are "expert" witnesses as opposed to ordinary or "fact" witnesses.

Expert witnesses are permitted to testify not just about what the results of testing or analysis
were ("facts"), but also to give an opinion about what those results mean. For example, a forensic
scientist may testify about the observed, factual results of a chemical drug analysis and that, in
their expert opinion, the results show that the tested substance is a specific drug, such as cocaine
or heroin.

To qualify as an expert witness, the forensic scientist must have a solid, documented
background of education, training, and experience in the scientific discipline used to conduct the
examinations, testing, or analyses about which the forensic scientist wants to testify.

Eye Witnesses and Corroborative Witnesses

An eyewitness is a person who directly saw the criminal event take place, while a
corroborative witness is a person who can only provide circumstantial or indirect evidence of the
events surrounding the crime.

Independent Witness

In addition to considering the evidence of a witness based on being an eyewitness or a

corroborative witness, the court will also give additional weight to evidence that comes from a
person who is an independent witness. An independent witness is sometimes referred to as a
third-party witness. They are characterized as independent because;

 They are not associated with the victim

 They are not associated with the suspect
 They are not in any way associated to the criminal event

G Evidences and its kinds

Evidence can be divided into two general types:

1. Testimonial evidence or Direct evidence is a statement made under oath. An example would
be a witness pointing to someone in the courtroom and saying, "That's the guy I saw robbing the
grocery store." This is also called direct evidenc or prima facie evidence.

2. Physical evidence can be any object or material relevant in a crime. It can be any tangible
thing, large or small. This is also called real evidence.
 The forensic scientist is most interested in physical evidence. It is the task of the forensic
scientist to look at evidence and determine its identity and its origin. In identifying what a
particular piece of evidence is, a scientist determines its physical and chemical properties.
Physical properties, such as color, density, solubility, hardness, and refractive index, can often be
observed or measured. Chemical properties can be observed when the object or substance
changes its chemical composition. Often chemical properties are observed when the substance
reacts with other chemicals. Examples of chemical changes or reactions are the formation of
bubbles, color change, pH change, and the formation of a precipitate Determining the origin of
evidence almost always.

Sources:

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms 6E Copyright © 2003 by The

McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

https://guides.ucf.edu/c.php?g=708778&p=5036102

https://ppsc.gov.ph/2015-03-27-03-54-36/2015-04-03-00-28-57

https://cl.pnp.gov.ph/elementor-373/about-us/crime-laboratory-history/

https://www.mvorganizing.org/what-are-the-4-stages-in-the-practice-of-forensic-chemistry/

https://aafs.org/Home /Resources/Students/What -Do.aspx

https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/criminalinvestigation/chapter/chapter-7-witness-management/

https://www.casdschools.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?
moduleinstanceid=7201&dataid=6177&FileName=02-TypesOfEvidence.pdf