INTRODUCTION

TO
QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS

DARWIN P. BATAWANG, PH.D. CRIM

 Recall last topic
➢ What is a document?
➢ Writings which do not constitute documents
➢ Kinds of document
➢ What is a questioned document?
➢ Classes of questioned document
➢ What is questioned document examination
➢ Subjects considered in questioned document examination
➢ The logical progress of inquiry in document examination
➢ Scientific method in questioned document
 Todays Discussion
➢ QDE In The Philippines
➢ Basic Requirement In QDE (PNP-CLO SOP)
➢ The Forensic Document Examiner
➢ Roles of QD Examiner
Preliminary Examination Of Documents
➢ What Is An Off-hand Opinion?
➢ Care, Handling And Preservation Of Documents
➢ Division Of Questioned Document Examination
➢ Related Fields of Study
QUESTIONED DOCUMENT EXAMINATION IN
THE PHILIPPINES
✓ Handled by the Philippine National
Police Crime Laboratory specifically
the Questioned Document
Examination Division (QDED) and;
✓ The National Bureau of Investigation
(NBI).
PNP Crime Laboratory Questioned Document
Examination Division

It was established as an

administrative support unit on
Jan. 30 1991
Basic Requirement in QDE (PNP-CLO SOP)
 Request
✓ Document examinations shall be based
on written requests from any
investigating agency of the government,
court orders, as well as private
requesting parties.
Basic Requirement in QDE (PNP-CLO SOP)
 Request
- For documents previously examined
by any competent agencies of the
government shall not be reexamined
except there is a court order.
Basic Requirement in QDE (PNP-CLO SOP)
 Request
- If the case is undergoing trial in court,
disputed documents shall be
examined only upon order of the
court having jurisdiction of the case.
Basic Requirement in QDE (PNP-CLO SOP)
 Standard Specimens
The specimens to be submitted will be
dependent on the questioned documents under
investigation. First, the original document is
necessary and the standards to be collected or
requested should be sufficient; and observance
of similarity of the subject matter is necessary.
THE FORENSIC DOCUMENT EXAMINER

 Analyzes any questioned document and

is capable of more than just questions of
authorship limited only by their access to
laboratory equipment.
THE FORENSIC DOCUMENT EXAMINER

 Hestudies all aspects of a document to

determine its authenticity, origin,
handwriting, photocopiers, inks and
papers. They are basically the laboratory
investigators.
 Roles of QD Examiner

At the crime scene:

- Assist the investigators in the
identification, documentation,
collection and preservation of
questioned documents.
- Conduct field laboratory works
 Roles of QD Examiner

At the Crime Laboratory:

Conduct of scientific examinations on
collected and submitted QD evidences.
Prepare Technical Report
 Roles of QD Examiner

At the Court
- Render expert witness testimony
concerning the results of
examinations conducted.
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF DOCUMENTS

– It is the initial examination conducted on

a document to determine whether it is
genuine or not. It is not misnomer, for in
reality it consists of painstaking analysis
more than looking at a document and
expressing an off-hand opinion.
 THE IMPORTANCE OF PRELIMINARY
EXAMINATION OF QUESTIONED DOCUMENT
 1. ensures preparedness
 2. avoidance of delay
 3. ensures success of the case
Who conducts the preliminary
examination?

It should be conducted by a questioned

document expert.
Who is a questioned document expert?

A questioned document expert is one who has:

1. Attained the appropriate education and training
2. Sufficient knowledge on the technical, scientific,
and legal aspects of document examinations
3. A broad experience in handling questioned
document cases.
REASONS FOR UTILIZING A QUESTIONED
DOCUMENT EXPERT
1. Assurance of preparedness
2. Trial fiscal or judges are infrequently
confronted with document cases; consequently,
they do not possess the knowledge of the
documents experts ability of the various methods
that exist for determining forgeries.
3. Avoidance of an off-hand opinion
What is an off-hand opinion?

A conclusion that is not based on

thorough scientific examination.
The danger of off-hand opinions

 It has happened in some cases that

an off-hand opinion has sent an innocent
man to prison, while a murderer was
given a chance to escape.
 CARE, HANDLING AND PRESERVATION OF
DOCUMENTS
 Seriouscurtailment of a certain technical
examinations is caused by improper or careless
handling of a disputed document. This condition most
frequently is brought about by ignorance of the
consequences of mishandling. The simple act of
repeatedly removing and replacing the letter in its
envelope can cause a noticeable determination.
DO’s and DON’Ts in the CARE HANDLING AND
PRESERVATION OF DOCUMENTS
 Do’s

1. Keep the documents unfolded in prospective

envelopes.
2. Take disputed papers to Document Examiner’s
Laboratory at the First Opportunity.
3. If storage is necessary, keep in dry place away
from excessive heat strong light.
 Don’ts
1. Do not handle disputed papers excessively or carry then
in pocket for a long time.
2. Do not marked disputed documents (either by consciously
writing instruments or dividers.
3. Do not mutilate or damage by repeated refolding,
creasing, cutting tearing or punching for filing purposes.
4. Do not allow anyone except qualified specialist to make
chemical or other tests; do not treat or dust for latent
fingerprints before consulting a document examiner.
 Division of Questioned Document
Examination
➢ Criminalistics Examination- Involves the detection of
forgery, erasure, alteration, or obliteration of documents
(contents). The criminalistics examination of documents
similar to other kinds of laboratory works.
Dr. Wilson Harrison- a noted British Examiner of QD
said that an intelligent police investigator can detect almost
75% of all forgeries by careful inspection of a document with
simple magnifiers and measuring tools.
➢ Hand Writing Investigation/Analysis- this is more focused
on determining the Author of writing. It is more difficult
procedure and requires long study and experience.
 ALBERT S. OSBORNE

➢ Published his seminal book “Questioned

Documents”, considered as the bible of
document examination. He was later
entitled as the “Father of QDE”.
 Related Fields of Study
➢ Historical Dating – these is work involving
the verification of age and worth of a
document or object, sometimes done by a
document examiner, and can get as
complicated as Carbon-14 dating.

A method that provides objective age

estimates for carbon-based materials.
 Related Fields of Study
➢ Fraud Investigators – this is work that
often overlaps with that of the document
examiner and focuses on the money trail
and criminal intent.
 Related Fields of Study
➢ Paper & Ink Specialists – these are
public or private experts who date, type,
source, and/or catalogue various types of
paper, watermarks, ink, printing/copy/fax
machines, computer cartridges, etc. using
chemical methods.
 Related Fields of Study
➢ Forgery Specialists – these are public or
private experts who analyze altered,
obliterated, changed, or doctored
documents and photos using infrared
lighting, expensive spectrograph equipment,
or digital enhancement techniques.
 Related Fields of Study
➢ Handwriting Analysts – these are usually
psychology experts who assess personality traits
from handwriting samples, also called
“graphologists” or “graphoanalysts”.
Forensic Stylistic refers to the same purpose
but by looking at semantics, spelling, word
choice, syntax, and phraseology.
 Related Fields of Study
a. Typewriting Analysts – these are
experts on the origin, make and model
used in typewritten material.
 Related Fields of Study
a. Computer Crime Investigators – this
is an emerging group that relates to QDE
through some common investigative and
testimonial procedures.
THANK YOU!