NBI on silawan case: Rape findings are irrelevant

CEBU, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation-7 medico-legal officer deemed the forensic findings of the Public Attorney’s Office that 16-year-old Christine Lee Silawan had been “raped” as irrelevant and contradicting.

Dr. Rene Cam, the medico-legal officer of NBI-7, echoed the Police Regional Office-7 director’s prior statements and said that they will continue to stand by the findings of the regional PNP Crime Laboratory’s initial findings that she had not been raped.

He said that they had the findings attached as evidence in the case they presented before the prosecutor’s office in Lapu-Lapu City.

Silawan’s body was found in a vacant lot in Lapu-Lapu City last March 11. She had stab wounds and her skin and flesh had been peeled off her skull.

Cam clarified that Dr. Erwin Erfe of PAO should have consulted with Dr. Benjamin Lara of the PNP Crime Laboratory.

He said that a re-autopsy is meant to support the initial findings and not contradict them.

“A re-autopsy is more of a confirmatory examination of the first autopsy. It is not done to discredit the first autopsy…it should not be a competition between medico-legal officers,” Cam told reporters.

To recall, Erfe said last Tuesday that there was visible hematoma around Silawan’s private parts.

He said that there were signs she was raped due to the extensive abrasions leading to the bleeding of her private parts, he said he also saw lacerations.

However, no male fluids were recovered during the examination.

“May multiple hematoma ibig sabihin pinuwersa. Ang summary ng findings ay nakakita kami evidence na siya ay ni-rape,” Erfe was quoted in the report.

Cam explained a hematoma is swelling caused by clotted blood caused by an external shock, and he explained that a hematoma will not appear post-mortem since the tissue will no longer react.

He said that when a body is embalmed the wounds will become smaller.

“Because supposedly dapat yung ginawa was to talk to Dr. Lara and look at pictures because wounds that are fresh would not be same with the wounds when the body is embalmed,” he said.

For his findings, Lara said that there were no wounds in Christine’s private parts, leading him to conclude in his initial findings that she had not been raped.

However, he took a vaginal swab to test in the PNP Crime Laboratory in Manila to check for male fluids. There are no results available yet.

NBI-7 Director Tomas Enrile also said that the PAO’s findings will cause confusion among the public.

Meanwhile, the mother of Silawan, Lourdes Pardillo, 48, expressed worry over the contradicting results. However, she said she still trusts authorities to give them justice.

She said her daughter has been visiting her in her dreams, asking for justice.

“Nagpadamgo akoa anak magpatabang gyud siya kay para niya sakit iya gidangatan. Naghilak siya moingon ‘tabangi ko, ma’,” she said.

She said she was happy over the recent developments, especially after the NBI-7 revealed that the bloodstains found on the shirt and ball cap of Silawan’s 17-year-old former lover showed Silawan’s DNA in them.

However, this was not enough to lift the burden from her shoulders since not one suspect has been convicted yet.

“Wala pa mahukmi og wala pa matagai ako anak sa saktong hustisya. Sakit ila gibuhat sa akong anak grabe, karumal-dumal, bisag hangtod karon di pa ko kadawat,” she said.  —/BRP (FREEMAN)