Nine days after the brutal killing of 25 yr. old Joyce Jabines and a day before her scheduled burial on April 28, 2016, the police is still facing a blank wall even as the ongoing investigation has been stymied by the absence of a qualified medico legal officer to determine if she was also raped.
The absence in Bohol of a qualified medico legal officer trained by the PNP and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has slowed down the resolution of criminal cases that are under the investigation of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Tagbilaran City PNP Chief, Police Superintendent George Vale made known his concern to the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) monthly meeting at the Governor’s Mansion presided by Governor Edgar Chatto.
Vale told the PPOC that the final result of the investigation of the brutal killing of 25 yr. old Joyce Jabines on April 19, 2016 has been hampered by the lack of a PNP trained medico legal officer in the province.
Results of vaginal swabbing, according to Vale is not conclusive finding if the victim was raped but a complete examination by a qualified medico legal officer is required.
Jabines lifeless body was found by her room mate in their rented room with both her hands which were tied at the back and her feet bound by metal wires.
According to the police report the victim’s face was wrapped in masking tape and covered by a bloodied pillow with her bra, underwear and pants slightly lowered causing suspicions that she was raped.
A post mortem report byDr. Albert Calvelo of the Tagbilaran City Health Office found that the cause of death was attributed to the two stab wounds in the victim’s chest and asphyxia secondary to suffocation.
Two “persons of interest” were invited for questioning by the police but were later cleared of their involvement of the killing of Jabines.
Medico legal officers performs autopsies, verification of death certificates and give guidance and supervision with regard to establishing the cause of death. (Chito M. Visarra with reports from Rey Tutas)