The Department of Justice (DOJ) is exploring the possibility of establishing a dental bank record to aid in the identification process of remains recovered from Taal Lake.
Justice spokesperson Mico Clavano made this statement on Thursday after presenting updates in the ongoing search and retrieval operations of the missing ‘sabungeros.’
“We will also start looking for dental records and create a dental bank record, if that is what you call it, so that we can identify who these people are,” he said.
He noted this may help in the ongoing investigation of the case, especially since a skull with a jaw and some teeth was recovered.
“We know that behind the tooth, there is an area where you can get DNA. So, even if we found dentures, it is still possible that we can use them as DNA samples,” he added.
The DOJ has already sought help from the relatives of the missing ‘sabungeros’ to identify other personal items recovered from the lake, such as clothes.
Meanwhile, Clavano also confirmed that the DOJ has formally requested the University of the Philippines (UP) to analyze samples due to the limited capacity of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“We welcome if ever they [PNP] can, because they are there at the scene of the crime, they will be in the best position to do it. However, given that their capacities and capabilities are limited, we were constrained to asking for help from the UP Forensic Pathology Department as well as the Anthropology Department and the Japanese government,” he said.
