A forensic expert on Thursday expressed hope for an improved criminal investigation system in the Philippines.

Forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun noted the deficiencies in criminal investigation procedures during the drug war that have left many grieving families feeling hopeless and frustrated with the local justice system.

Fortun stated that this is set to change following the signing of a training partnership agreement between the government and Australia’s Monash University. The agreement aims to cultivate a new generation of forensic experts who will facilitate the proper conduct of death investigations in the country.

Under the memorandum of agreement, forensic experts and doctors from Monash University will be deployed to the Philippines, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to assist the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila campus in developing programs and expertise in forensic science, with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of forensic experts in the country.

Now nearing retirement, Fortun is optimistic about the future of the local justice system with this development.

“I waited 30 years for this, and now I am two and a half years away from retirement. We don’t have a death investigation system, which should be beneficial to our criminal justice system and public health issues,” Fortun said.

“We are not seriously interested in preventing deaths by learning from them,” she added.

Fortun emphasized that the partnership between Monash University and UP Manila “is a very good beginning.”

“We are looking forward to finally offering forensic science training programs to Filipinos and sharing research findings, and there are already applicants,” she said.

Fortun is one of only two forensic pathologists in the country.

Her independent examinations of some bodies of drug war suspects revealed several irregularities in the autopsies previously conducted by law enforcement authorities.

This reminded her of the early years of her career when the practice of forensic science was practically “nonexistent in the Philippines."

“Now there’s hope,” she said, describing the collective support from the national government, the University of the Philippines, and the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM) of Monash University in improving death investigation procedures locally through specialized training programs.

Fortun, UP Manila Chancellor Michael Tee, and Professor Craig Jeffrey, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Senior Vice-President of Monash University, jointly signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 24 October for the conduct of forensic science training and research activities in the Philippines.

Students of the training programs will receive either a two-year Forensic Medicine Master’s Degree or a short-term certificate in forensic science jointly from the two learning institutions, following Republic Act 11448, or the Transnational Education Law.

The Pathology Department of UP Manila, led by Fortun and doctors from VIFM, developed the framework and curriculum for forensic science education in the Philippines.

The training is expected to start in February 2025.