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DELTA REVIEW CENTER

Pajara, Santa Monica, Puerto Princesa City
Tel. No. 723-7274

PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION

Identification - is the determination of the individuality of a person or thing.

Methods of identification:

1. ANTHROPOMETRY (Bertillon System)

Alphonse Bertillon, a French criminologist, devised a scheme utilizing

anthro-pometrical measurement of the human body as the basis of identification.

Basis of the Bertillon System of identification:

1. The human skeleton is unchangeable after the twentieth year. The thigh bone
continues to grow somewhat after the period, but this is compensated by the
curving of the spine which takes place at about the same age.
2. It is impossible to find two human beings having bones exactly alike.

2. PORTRAIT PARLE’ (Spoken Picture) In many instances an investigator does not

have a picture of the wanted or missing person. The only way to have an idea of
the prominent physical features is for the witnesses or someone who has
knowledge of the identity to tell him.

Portrait Parle’ (spoken picture) is a verbal, accurate and picturesque

description of the person identified. Such information may be given by the
witness, relatives, or other persons who are acquainted with the physical features
of the person to be identified.

3. ROUGE’S GALLERY – it is a collection of all known criminals to the police,

whose identity are known and familiar to them. Normally, there criminals had been
apprehended and had previous criminal records.

4. DENTAL IDENTIFICATION (FORENSIC ODONTOLOGY) – Identification

of person by means of dental structure or dentures and being done by a forensic
dentist or odontologist.

5. HANDWRITING EXAMINATION

6. (DNA) DEOXYROBONUCLEIC ACID

7. BIOMETRICS – A modern type of personal identification that involves the

measurement of body parts using a device such as computerized fingerprint
analysis, iris analysis, voice recognition and others.

8. DACTYLOSCOPY – also known as the Science of Fingerprint Identification.

In the Philippines, the use of fingerprint as a means of identification in
our judicial system is found in the Supreme Court Decision in the case of
PEOPLE vs. MEDINA.
A court of appeals decision on the case of BIGLANGAWA vs. LUCIO
AMADOR (C.A. No. 37320-B) also recognized the use of fingerprint as a means
of identification, wherein a fingerprint expert testified and successfully defended
fingerprint evidence based on Eight (8) identical ridge points.
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THE SCIENCE OF FINGERPRINTS

1. HISTORY OF FINGERPRINTS

Origin of Fingerprint System

The system of identification by fingerprints had its origin in China. The
Chinese employed the fingerprint system for the signing of contracts on the part of
the illiterate. Every Chinese mother is also familiar with the fingerprint marks of
her new born.

Emperor Te’in Shi, B.C. 246-210 was the first Chinese ruler who devised a
system and used fingerprint as a proof of ownership.

Discovery and Development of the fingerprint system

1. 1686 – Professor Marcelo Malphigi, University of Bologna, Italy. He

originated the term “loops and spirals”. One layer of the human skin was
named after him, the “Malphigian Layer”.

2. 1823 – Professor Johannes E. Purkinje discovered, in his studies of

Physiology, that the skin on the inner surface of the hand bore patterns, which
he later divided into types.

3. 1858 – Sir William J. Herschel, while acting as the official representative of

the English government in Bengal, India, made use of fingerprints to prevent
impersonation.

4. 1877 – Dr. Henry Faulds, He. Faulds published a paper on his findings prior
to Herschel. Dr. Faulds wrote the English Journal “Nature Dealing with the
Latent Prints found at the Crime Scene” He claimed that the impressions would
provide positive identification of offenders when apprehended. He also wrote
“Manual of Practical Dactylography” based on skin ridges of the fingers and
toes.

5. 1892 – Sir Francis Galton took up the study of persistency of the ridge
characteristics, these being the points by which identity is established. In order
to carry on this experiments, Galton established a Bureau for the registration of
civilians by means of fingerprints and measurements in London, England, so it
may be said that Galton was the first to establish a Civil Bureau of Personal
Identification. After several years of experiments and calculations.

Francis Galton devised a complete system with rules for classification of

fingerprints and informed us that the possibility of a print of two persons being
alike was 1 in 64,000,000,000. He is also the scientist who divided the types of
fingerprint into Arches, Loops and Whorls, known as the “ALW Methods”.

6. 1901 – During the period of Galton’s experiments, Sir Edward Henry became
interested in fingerprints as a means of identification, and after taking into
consideration the various theories and systems presented by his predecessors in
the study, he devised a system of classification which was adapted for the
identification of criminals by the English Government in London, on July 1,
1901, known as the Henry System of Classification and Filing.
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2. USES OF FINGERPRINT

Practical uses of fingerprints

1. Help establish identity in cases of dead bodies and unknown or missing
persons.
2. Prints recovered from the crime scene associate person or weapon.
3. Prints on file are useful for comparative purposes and for the knowledge of
previous criminal records.
4. Among illiterates, right thumbprint is recognized as a substitute finger
signature on legal documents. Countries differ as to which uses is used for the
purpose. India uses the left thumb, Spain uses the right pointing finger.

Advantages of using fingerprints as a means of identification.

1. Not much training is necessary for a person to take, classify and compare
fingerprints.
2. No expensive instruments are required in the operation.
3. The fingerprint itself is easy to classify.
4. Actual prints for comparative purposes are always available and suspected
errors can easily be checked.

3. RIDGE FORMATION AND RIDGE DESTRUCTION

Components of the friction skin

1. Ridges – are the tiny elevations or hill-like structures found on the epidermis of
the skin containing sweat pores. Through these sweat ducts emitted the greasy
substance from the sweat glands. These perspiration are the one’s that form the
ridge characteristics on any smooth objects it may touched. The ridges appear
as black lines with tiny white dots called “pores” in an inked finger
impressions.
2. Furrows – are the canals or depressions found between the ridges. They appear
as white lines in an inked finger impression.

4. PRINCIPLES IN THE FINGERPRINT SYSTEM

1. Principle of Individuality
No two fingerprints are exactly alike. The chances of two
fingerprints being the same are calculated to be 1 is to
64,000,000,000 which is ten times the number of fingers existing
in the world.
2. Principle of Permanency
The configuration and details of individual ridges remain constant
and unchanging. Fingerprints are formed in the fetus in the fourth
month of pregnancy. The finger may be wounded or burned, but
the whole pattern with all its details reappear when the wound
heals.
3. Principle of Infallibility
The science Fingerprint is an exact science and considered to be the
most reliable method of personal Identification.
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5. CORE, DELTA AND OTHER RIDGE FORMATIONS

1. CORE – The center of a fingerprint pattern is detailed the core or inner
terminus.
2. DELTA – If a fingerprint pattern has an inner terminus, it has else an
outside terminus which is called Delta.
3. TYPE LINES – The two innermost ridges that are frequently broken
and may not be continuous, which ran parallel or nearly so with each
other; and at a certain point diverge or separate, one running opposite
the other surrounding or tending to engulf the pattern area.
4. PATTERN AREA – The portion of the fingerprint that is bounded by
the type lines and wherein are included the vital elements or
characteristics necessary for the interpretation and classification to
determine its pattern type.
5. DIVERGENCY – The separation or spreading apart of two ridges that
were running side by side.

6. TYPES OF FINGERPRINT PATTERN

1. ARCH - An Arch is a pattern in which the ridges flow from one side to
the other, without recurving usually having a slight upward
curve in the center, making the pattern like an arch. There is
no core and no delta.
2. TENTED ARCH - A tented arch is a pattern in which the ridges flow
from one side to the other without recurving, but differ from
plain arch, as the ridges rise higher in the center, giving the
pattern the appearance of a tent. A tented arch may have a
core and no delta, or a delta and no core.
3. LOOP - A loop is a pattern in which one or more ridges enter on either
side of the impression and by making a recurve pass out or
terminate on the side as the ridge. It has a core and a delta.
Two Types of Loop
a. Ulnar Loop - is one in which the downward slant of the ridges are
from the thumb toward the little finger or ulnar bone.
b. Radial Loop - is one in which the downward slant of the ridge or
ridges are from the little finger toward the thumb or radius bone.

4. PLAIN WHORL - A whorl is a pattern in which the ridges form a

series of circle or spirals around the core or axis. A whorl has
a core and two deltas
5. CENTRAL POCKET LOOP - Central Pocket Loop is a pattern in
which most of the ridges represent the pattern known as a
loop, but where one or ore of the ridges within such loop or
those surrounding the core recurve somewhat like a spiral. A
central pocket loop has a core and two unbalanced deltas.
6. DOUBLE LOOP - Double Loop consist of two separate loop
formations with the separate and distinct sets of shoulders
and two deltas.
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7. ACCIDENTAL WHORL - Accidental is a pattern in which two or

more of the different types of patterns are represented.
Accidental may have two or more deltas.

8. REPRODUCTION OF FINGERPRINT IMPRESSIONS

Kinds of Fingerprint Impressions

A. Real impression – Impression of the finger bulbs with the use of
printing ink or the surface of the paper. Other coloring materials may
be used but they are less visible and indelible.
B. Chance Impression – Fingerprints which are impressed by mere chance
without any intention to produce it. Chance impression maybe:
1. Visible Print – Impression made by chance and is visible
without previous treatment. Impression made by the fingers
smeared with some colored substances, like black ink,
vegetable juice, may be colored immediately after impression.
2. Plastic Print – Impression made by chance by pressing finger
tips on melted paraffin, putty, resin, cellophane, plastic tape,
butter, soap, etc.
3. Latent Print – Prints which are not visible after impression but
made visible by the addition of some substances. Latent prints
develop because the fingers are always covered with colorless
residue of oil and perspiration which when pressed on smooth
and non-absorbent material will cause the production of the
prints.

Methods of producing fingerprint impressions

a. Plain method - The bulbs of the last phalanges of the fingers and thumb
are pressed on the surface of the paper after pressing them on an ink
pad or ink plate with printing ink.
b. Rolled Method – The bulbs of the thumb and other fingers are rolled on
the surface of the paper after being rolled on an ink pad or ink plate
with printing ink.

Purpose of the Plain Impressions:

Plain impressions are used to check to the rolled impressions,
whether the rolled impressions are properly recorded in the fingerprint
cards in their order as the thumb, index, middle, ring, and little fingers of
the right hand and the same sequence of the left hand.

Pointers to be observed by the fingerprint technician.

1. The hands of the subject should be cleaned and dried before fingerprints
are taken.
2. The subject should be instructed to relax his hands and not assist the
operator in any manner.
3. The inking plate or slab should be thoroughly cleaned with cotton or
any soft cloth wet in denatured alcohol, benzene or gasoline, before
inking.
4. Always keep the ink in a dry place. So as not to harden.
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5. Care should b exercised that each finger is evenly inked from the tip
down to the beginning of the next joint below, and from one side of the
nail to the other side.
6. Only a small quantity of ink should be placed on the inking late, and
evenly spread with the roller until a very thin film coated the entire
surface of the plate.

7. In inking and printing the thumbs should be rolled towards the body of
the technician, and the rest of the fingers away from the body of the
technician. This is due to two bones of the forearm (Radius & Ulna),
w/c guide natural movement.
8. Apply only a moderate amount of pressure in inking and printing
subject’s fingers to avoid blurred prints.
9. While a finger is being inked or printed, the subject should be told to
clench or fold the remaining fingers together in order that they may not
obstruct the free movement of the finger being inked or printed.
10. Hold the subject’s finger firmly so as to prevent pulling that may caused
smeared impression.

8. RIDGE COUNTING AND RIDGE TRACING

Ridge Counting Procedure
The two important factors in the classification of loops and whorls
are done by ridge counting and tracing. By ridge count it means the
enumeration of the number of ridge characters touching or passing between
the core and delta, excluding core and delta. In loops, it is suggested to
begin the count from the core to the delta.

Ridge Tracing Procedures

In whorls, ridge tracing is meant, the method of ridge coursing using
the two deltas as the focal points. The tracing of the number of intervening
ridges and the designation of their corresponding symbol are represent as
follows:

1. Tracing always commence from the point of the left delta.

2. Tracing goes across the pattern following the lower contour of such
pattern till it ends at a relative point nearest to the right delta.
3. If the traced ridge ends, it is necessary to drop perpendicularly to a point
on a ridge found below and continue the tracing.
4. Whorls with regard to their respective tracings are divided into 3
classes: Inner, Meet, and Outer Whorls and are described below as:

a. If the traced ridge reached the relative point nearest the right delta,
and goes above or inside it and there are three or more ridges
intervening between such ridge and the right delta, it is called an
INNER Whorl and being represented by the capital letter “I” .
b. If the traced ridge reached the relative point and goes above or
below the right delta with one or two ridges intervening between
such delta and the traced ridge, of if the traced ridge run directly to
the right delta, it is adjusted as a MEET Whorl and is indicated by
the capital letter “M”.
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c. If the traced ridge reached the relative point and goes below or
outside the right delta with three or more ridges intervening
between such delta and the traced ridge, it is an OUTER Whorl, and
designated by capital letter “O”.

Relative Point - is the point of the ridge directly opposite

the right delta when and imaginary line is drawn.