Development Of Scientific

Crime Laboratory In The

Philippine
February 14, 1829 – Scientific Crime Laboratory was
established by public-minded individuals due to the massacre
happened in Chicago.

March 31, 1876 – "Medicos Titulares“ was created by virtue of

Royal Decree No. 188 of Spain. They assigned physician on
every province to perform public sanitary duties and provide
medico-legal aids to the administration of justice.
December 15, 1884 – Governor General Joaquin Javellar created a
committee to study the mineral waters of Luzon and appointed Anacleto
del Rosario as chemist.

September 13, 1887 – The establishment of "Laboratorio Municipal de

Manila" under the inspection of the "Direccion General de Administraion
Civil" and the control of the "Gobierno de Provincias“. The function of
the laboratory was to make analysis on food, water and other than related
to public health but also of specimen for clinical purposes.
1894 – "Laboratorio Medico-Legal" was created under the
judicial branch of the government and the laboratory functioning
under the direction of a physician and assisted by a pharmacist-
chemist.

1895 – Clinical laboratory was established by Antonio Luna

where some original works in chemistry were done.
Unfortunately, all prospects of the advancement of the scientific
laboratories were paralyzed as a result of the revolution in 1896.
1899 – The first scientific laboratory was established in a small building
on the banks of Pasig River with Lt. R. P. Strong of the US Army in
charge.

1901 – Actual scientific work began under the initiative of Dean

Worcester by virtue of Act No. 156 approved by the Civil Commission.

July 1, 1901 – The Bureau of Government Laboratories was created

for the purpose of performing biological and chemical examinations as
well as for the production of vaccines and sera.
March 11, 1915 – The Department of Legal Medicine was
created pursuant to the resolution of the Board of regents. The
department took charge of the courses of legal medicines and its
branches in the College of Medicine and Law.

October 14, 1924 – Through the passage of Act No. 3043 by the
Philippine Legislature, the same Department of Legal Medicine
became a branch of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and also
became integral part of the University of the Philippines.
December 1, 1937 – The "Division of Investigation'" was created under
Commonwealth Act No. 181 with two medico-legal officers and a chemist.
The Medico-Legal Section of the Division of Investigation started the
definite movement towards the creation of scientific crime detection
laboratory.

September, 1945 – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) was

organized with the Division of Investigation as the nucleus. The chemical
laboratory of the Medico-Legal Section was expanded into a Forensic
Chemistry Division.
What is Crime Laboratory?
Crime Laboratory also called Forensic Laboratory, facility
where analyses are performed on evidence generated by crimes or,
sometimes, civil infractions. Crime laboratories can investigate
physical, chemical, biological, or digital evidence and often
employ specialists in a variety of disciplines, including behavioral
forensic science, forensic pathology, forensic anthropology, crime-
scene investigation, and ballistics. Many crime labs are publicly
funded and administered by federal, state or provincial, or local
government, although there are growing number of private labs
that specialize in fields such as drug analysis and DNA
fingerprinting.