crim case nos. 45303 & 45304
pp vs larrañaga et al                        
hearing september 22, 1998
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Q         So, what did you do when you saw that the fingers were already stiffening?

COURT: 

            What was that?

PROS. GALANIDA: 

            Stiffening.

Q         I then requested Dr. Sator to slice off the skin tissues on the left and and the right
            thumbprints of the dead woman.

Q         In effect, did Dr. Sator slice off skin tissues on the right and the left thumbs of the 
            dead woman?   

A         Yes, ma'am.

Q         At that time when Dr. Sator sliced off the skin tissues on the right and the left thumbs of the
            dead woman, did you have any inkling on who she was? 

A         There was none at all. 

Q         So, what did you do with the skin tissues then?

A         Right after the skin tissues has been cut and removed, it was placed in a small bottle
            preserved with a formalin.

Q        After that was done, what next happened there at the Tupaz Funeral Parlor?

A        The dental officer, Dr. Langcauon immediately conducted a dental examination on the 
           dead woman. 

Q        After Dr. Lancauan conducted a dental examination, what happened next?

A         It was already the turn of Dr. Sator who conducted a postmortem examination of the 
           dead woman also.

Q       Where you present when Dr. Sator conducted an autopsy or postmortem examination?

A        Yes, ma'am. 

COURT: 

           By the way, was the victim identified also through her dentures? Was she identified also?   

PROS. GALANIDA: 

           Not anymore, Your Honor, because after the positive identification with the thumbprint, the
           right thumbprint, the denture examination was not anymore conducted because according to
           this witness, the thumbprint  

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            is the best or the most positive way of identifying a person and also, Your Honor, because
           according to the dentist, the teeth were all broken up and down. The teeth were broken.

COURT: 

            Why, did he say why? Because of the exposure - exposure to the elements or what?

PROS. GALANIDA: 

            Maybe because of the fall.

COURT: 

            Because of the fall?

PROS. GALANIDA: 

            Yes, the impact. But we will request the dentist to testify on that point, Your Honor.

COURT: 

            So, we understand from this witness that they did not resort to the other methods of
            identification that he mentioned earlier in his testimony. So, they relied solely on the 
           fingerprint.

PROS. GALANIDA: 

            Yes, Your Honor.

COURT: 

            The other methods that he mentioned were not utilized.

PROS. GALANIDA: 

            Yes, Your Honor, because secondly, Your Honor, apart from the fact that the teeth of the
            dead body were all broken, it needed the dental records of the victim. They did not go
            through it anymore after the positive identification.
 

COURT: 

            Proceed.

PROS. GALANIDA:            

Q         May we know how long or what time did Dr. Sator finish his neoropsy or postmortem
            examination?

A         That was already past 12:00 o'clock.

Q         So, after Dr. Sator finished the autopsy or post-mortem examination at past 12:00 o'clock
            that day of July 20, 1997, what did you and your companions do?

(NOTE:  1. RED COLOR OURS FOR EMPHASIS.
               2. THE ABOVE TEXT IS A FAITHFUL REPRODUCTION OF THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT
                   REFORMATTED FOR  CLEARER APPRECIATION)