Fingerprint Newsletter

FISPhil Fingerprint Newsletter Volume 1, Issue No.
1 Page 1 of 8

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The Quarterly Publication of the Fingerprint Identification Society of the Philippines, Inc.
Postal Address: c/o National Bureau of Investigation, Central Visayas Regional Office No. VII,
Escario Street, Capitol Site, Cebu City, Philippines 6000
Email Address: fisphil@yahoo.com

VOLUME 1, I SSUE NO. 1 OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2013
Download at http://fingerprintphilippines.weebly.com/newsletter.html

EDITORIAL
The Fingerprint Society of the Philippines (FISPhil) is proud to present the first
issue of the Fingerprint Newsletter which aims to provide informative articles
to fingerprint examination practitioners and educators nationwide. The
Society believes in the power of sharing knowledge and information
relative to this science of interest. In this regard, the FISPhil through its
President, Mr. Doy Allego Sr., wishes to invite and encourages every
member to contribute articles and tidbits of information in order to
advance and improve the newsletter.
This official newsletter of the FISPhil will be published quarterly containing
various articles written by experts with emphasis on the "how to" of
fingerprint examination. The same will also include relevant information
regarding educational opportunities and current issues affecting fingerprint
practice.
One of the objectives of this publication is to assist concerned fingerprint
professionals in their quest for continuing professional development.

.
Presentati ons i n the 3
r d
Sci enti fi c Conference.. page 2
The Current State of Affai rs of Fi ngerpri nt Sci ence. page 2
Hi story. page 4
The Current Standards i n Fi ngerpri nt Exami nati on.. page 5
About FI SPhi l page 6
News/ Features page 6
Gal l ery page 8

UPCOMING EVENTS
December 1-3, 2013
3
rd
Scientific Conference at the
University of Cebu, Cebu City

OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
Camillus L. Allego, Sr.

VICE- PRESIDENT
Leynet V. Aguila

RECORDING SECRETARY
Aimee J. Goh

TREASURER/ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Anna Barbara O. Lacandazo

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS
Maphilindo D. Lao

DIRECTORS
Melcon S. Lapia
Alfie P. Sarmiento
Vicente T. delos Reyes
-------------------ooOoo------------------

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/WEBMASTER
Jury G. Rocamora

HISTORIAN
Junvil A. Insong

EDITOR
Jose F. Cuevas, Jr.

FISPhil Fingerprint Newsletter Volume 1, Issue No. 1 Page 2 of 8

PRESENTATIONS IN THE 3RD SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE

Introduction to Fingerprint Science by Alrose O.
Lobitaa, Fingerprint Instructor, Southern Mindanao
Colleges, Pagadian City

Review of Curriculum on Personal Identification:
Interactive Group Discussion by Moderator: Dean
Godyson B. Dolfo; Rapporteur: Aimee J. Goh, FISPhil
Secretary

Choosing the Measuring Scale for Examination-
Quality Photography by Shirlene Springael-
Esplana, Program Head, Criminology Department,
Saint Vincents College, Dipolog City

ACE-V Fingerprint Examination Process by Jury G.
Rocamora, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency

Brush-Powdering Techniques and Lifting of Latent
Prints by Camillus L. Allego, Sr., Fingerprint Examiner
II, NBI CEVRO 7

Ten-print Recording Techniques by Vicente delos
Reyes, Fingerprint Examiner II, Lanao del Norte
Provincial Police Office

AFIS Today: Where are we now and where are we
going with Automated Fingerprint Identification
Systems by Stephen P. Cutler, PhD, CEO, FSC
Holdings; former FBI Agent assigned in the Philippine
office

Fingerprint Expertise by Jury G. Rocamora, Philippine
Drug Enforcement Agency

Photomacrography of Fingerprints by Dr. Waynefred
H. Villarba, former Chief of NBI Photography Division

Photoshop for Fingerprint Examiners by Ronie A.
Ausa, Professor, Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion,
Roxas City, Capiz

NEWS AND ARTI CLES
THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS OF FINGERPRINT SCIENCE
by Jury G. Rocamora
For many years, our courts and law enforcement
community has relied on the experience and skills of
the seasoned police officers in providing evidence
and testimony required to put the most dangerous
criminals behind bars. An officer's stature as well as
his/ her accumulated years of service were greatly
considered that even judges were convinced of the
integrity of his/her conclusion. But now things turned
out differently! Examiners abroad (in US and UK) are
subjected to intense scrutiny relative to their
examination techniques. Fingerprint examiners are
expected to be formally educated in his discipline

1
US v. Byron Mitchell (1999)
2
Commonwealth of Mass v. Patterson 840 N.E. 2d 12, 23-33
(2005)
3
State of New Hampshire v Richard Langill (2007)
and meet up to the standards set by his peers in the
Fingerprint community.
The current major strides in the Forensic Latent
Fingerprint Examination began in US courts in 1999
1

when the very foundation of fingerprints and its
examination process were challenged. What follows
in 2005 is the issue against using simultaneous latent
prints
2
; the year 2007 saw the need to document
contemporaneously what was taking in the mind of
the human examiner during the fingerprint
examination process
3
. The erroneous identifications
in FBI-Mayfield and the SCRO-McKie in Scotland
were probed and reported in 2006
4
and 2009
5
,
4
The United States Office of Inspector General. A Review of the
FBIs Handling of the Brandon Mayfield Case. (March, 2006)
5
Garrett, R. J. (2009). Findings of the IAI Y7 Committee.
Identification News, 39(1)


respectively. Experts who were bragging of their
industry experiences in defending the supposed
long-standing scientific reliability of the science of
fingerprint were left in quandary. No less than the US
Congress has caught the attention of the
international forensic community through its
commissioned 2009 report
6
, which identified serious
concerns with scientific, cultural, and legal
implications to the forensic comparative sciences,
including fingerprints. While the NAS Report is limited
to the US forensic science community, the issues
brought forward were having impact to all other
countries, including the Philippines.
In view of the upsurge of legal challenges
nowadays, the scientific academic community has
pooled its potentials to save the fate of forensic
science in general. The West Virginia University, FBI-
Scientific Working Group on Friction Ridge Analysis,
Study and Technology (SWGFAST), International
Association for Identification, and the National
Institute of Justice have collaborated in coming up
a sourcebook
7
and published it last year, 2011, aside
from the continuous updating of standards in
SWGFAST
8
, the Interpol
9
, and the diligence of the
students and professors of Institut de Police
Scientifique, Ecole des Sciences Criminelles, in the
Universite de Laussane
10
, Switzerland of their
researches that have bearing on the scientific
interpretation of forensic evidence. International
body of experts, the International Association for
Identification, since 1973
11
and reiterated in 1995
12

and 2009
13
, is bent in giving out messages to other
experts in other countries to shun away from

6
Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States, A Path
Forward, National Research Council (2009)
7
Fingerprint Sourcebook, National Institute of Justice (2011) at
http://www.nij.gov/pubs-sum/225320.htm
8
Scientific Working Group on Friction Ridge Analysis, Study and
Technology (http://www.swgfast.org)
9
Interpol European Expert Group on Fingerprint Identification I
and II
10
http://www.unil.ch/esc
11
Identification News, International Association for Identification,
August 1973.
12
Proceedings of the International Symposium on Fingerprint
Detection and Identification, NeUrim, Israel, 1995.
13
IAI Resolution 2009-18, 94
th
Annual Educational Conference of
the International Association for Identification, August 21, 2009.
maintaining standards of identification out of the
static ridge counting threshold simply because it has
no scientific backing in contemporary scientific
researches; it resulted to the concept of
Ridgeology
14
, though the current paradigm shift still
counts on minutiae (ridge characteristics) as a
measurable aspect in qualitative and quantitative
assessment of the latent print
15

16
. Just recently,
international professionals of diverse expertise
gathered, and eventually published a report, as a
working group charged with conducting a scientific
assessment of the effects of extraneous
information, among other human factors, that
could influence decision-making and lead to
erroneous interpretation in forensic latent print
examination even to examiners acting in good faith.
This report noted some factors that affect the quality
of the work in a latent print unit, to wit: work
environment, skills and expertise in interpreting prints,
technology, reporting and testimony, and personnel
training
17
. Understandably, the said report is based in
US setting; much has to be done to evaluate our own
standards (if there is any) here in the Philippines.
These international developments signal the need to
attune our local practices with the current trends of
researches conducted by the academic
community as well as the recommended best
practices by the fingerprint training industry. But, as
admitted by some practitioners, the Philippine
forensic system is bereft of trainings such as in the
field of fingerprint, save the basic (and oftentimes
the only) training upon assignment in the laboratory,
and the enhancement training offered to
14
Ashbaugh, D. Ridgeology: Modern Evaluative Friction Ridge
Identification. Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 1999
15
Standards for Examining Friction Ridge Impressions and
Resulting Conclusions
(http://www.swgfast.org/documents/examinations-
conclusions/111026_Examinations-Conclusions_1.0.pdf),
accessed: April 13, 2012
16
C. Newmann, I.W. Evett, and J. Skerrett. Quantifying the weight
of evidence from a forensic fingerprint comparison: a new
paradigm. J.R. Statist. Soc. A (2012).
17
Expert Working Group on Human Factors in Latent Print
Analysis. Latent print Examination and Human Factors: Improving
the Practice through a Systems Approach. U.S. Department of
Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
2012.


academics by the private entity, Professional
Academy of the Philippines in Cebu City. The
offering of Bachelor of Forensic Science
18
by the
Commission on Higher Education is presumably a
sincere manifestation of the government towards
contributing for the solution of crimes through sound
application of science. And as noticed recently in
social networking site, the accurate narration of the
history of the science of fingerprint here in the
Philippines is wanting; we saw ourselves dabbling on
the history issue offhanded.
Amidst the aforementioned challenges
against the gold standard of forensic
science, the Fingerprint Identification
Society of the Philippines (FISPhil) was
organized last April 15, 2012 in Cebu City
and its 2nd scientific conference was held
on April 15-16, 2013 at Western Philippines
University, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan (for
more information please visit
http://fingerprintphilippines.weebly.com). It is the
object of the FISPhil to further educate fingerprint
practitioners and academicians and to maintain
their respective professional standards. To that end,
the Society will sponsor annual educational
opportunities through Scientific Conference and will
strive to conduct trainings throughout the year.
Instructions of the said educational activities will be
shared by recognized experts from all involved
sectors in law enforcement (PNP, NBI, PDEA, etc.),
academe and legal community.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this article are those of
the author and do not necessarily reflect the position,
opinion, or policy of his employer or any organization with
which he is or has been affiliated.

HI STORY
Friction Ridge Identification in the Philippines
Note: The readers are advised to verify the accuracy of
the names of personalities, chronology of events, and the
fact themselves in the following outline. This is intentionally

18
http://criminaljusticeregion9.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/6/7/106
71578/draft_psg_for_forensic_science_9-19-2011.pdf
presented in order to spark the thoughts of formulating an
accurate narration of the history of the fingerprint science
in the Philippines. Email the editor at fisphil@yahoo.com for
corrections and suggestions.
In the Philippines, fingerprinting started in 1900s
through the Americans. A certain Mr. Jones taught
the science of fingerprinting in the Philippine
Constabulary. It was also then that the Criminal
Records and Identification Division of Manila Police
District (now Western Police District) utilized the
Bertillon system of identification. After World
War II, the Henry System of Fingerprint
Classification was introduced by the US
Army.
Capt. Thomas Dugan of the New York
Police Department and Flaviano C.
Guerrero, a Filipino member of the FBI
helped to organize the fingerprinting in the
NBI. They gave the first examination in fingerprint
in 1927, and a certain Agustin Patricio topped in that
examination.
In 1910, the Bureau of Corrections through Mr.
Generoso La Torre, also adopted fingerprint system
for identification of inmates. He learned the system
from Lt. George M. Wolfe, the first director of the
bureau of prisons from 1909 to 1910.
Generoso Reyes became the first Filipino fingerprint
technician employed in the Philippine Constabulary,
while Isabela Bernales was the first Filipina fingerprint
technician.
The earliest case using fingerprint evidence to
convict the suspect was People of the Philippine
Islands v. Marciano D. Medina (G.R. No. L-38434,
December 23, 1933).
The establishment of crime laboratory system in the
Philippines was created at the end of the Second
World War. On May 19, 1945 it started as a section of
G-2 Division of Military Police Command, then known


as the Fingerprint Record Section of the Philippine
Constabulary.
In 1946, a certain Lt. Asa N. Darby
facilitated the establishment of
complete fingerprint files in the
Division of Investigation and in the
year that follows, it saw its
reorganization into Bureau of
Investigation by virtue of the RA 157.
It was finally renamed as the
National Bureau of Investigation
when the law was amended by Executive Order No.
94 issued on October 4, 1947
(http://www.nbi.gov.ph/history.html#).
Plaridel College (now known as Philippine College of
Criminology) is the first recognized school in the
Philippines to offer Fingerprint Identification as part of
its academic curricula in 1950.
In 1991 at the birth of Republic Act 6975, the Crime
Laboratory service was activated as a support unit
of the new Philippine National Police under the
Department of Interior and Local Government
(DILG). Later the PNP law (RA 6975) was amended
and the capability of crime laboratory was
enhanced.
Today, both the Philippine National Police and the
National Bureau of Investigation maintain a
fingerprint unit in their respective laboratories for
crime detection. Filipino practitioners are trained
either by the United States Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI), Englands Scotland Yard, or by
the Japan International Coordinating Agency
(JICA).
From China, fingerprinting technique went to Japan,
then to India, Great Britain, Canada, United States of
America, and to the Philippines.
David Ashbaugh stressed that knowledge of the
historical aspect of a science is one area frequently
addressed when testifying in court.

THE CURRENT STANDARDS I N FI NGERPRI NT
I DENTI FI CATI ON
Contemporary researches do not
endorse adherence to a minimum
number of POINT, MINUTIAE, Galton
DETAILS, FEATURES or RIDGE
CHARACTERISTICS to be the sole
criterion in arriving at conclusions as
to the identification of the source of
the Latent/ Questioned print. The use
of a static or fixed number of friction
ridge features as a threshold for the
establishment of an individualization
is not scientifically supported. There currently exists
no scientific basis for requiring a minimum amount of
corresponding friction ridge detail information
between two impressions to arrive at
an opinion of single source attribution. (Polski, J.;
Smith, R.; Garrett, R. The Report of the International
Association for Identification, Standardization II
Committee, U.S. Department of Justice, March
2011).

Neither the current researches subscribe to the claim
that examiner CAN identify latent print to one area
of the friction skin of one specific person only, "to the
exclusion of all other potential persons in the entire
universe", therefore the same examiner is not
permitted to report nor testify in court to that
language; physically comparing an impression to all
individuals in the world is unrealistic and this claim is
an overstatement and "needlessly strong, not yet
adequately supported by fundamental research,
and impossible to validate solely on the basis of
experience" (Latent Print Examination and Human
Factors, NIST, 2012, page 197). Instead, examiners
are advised to just testify their findings that "the
likelihood the impression was made by another
(different) source is so remote that it is considered as
a practical impossibility" (SWGFAST, Standards for
Examining Friction Ridge Impressions and Resulting
Conclusions, 03/13/13, ver.2.0.)
"the likelihood the
impression was made by
another (different) source is
so remote that it is
considered as a practical
impossibility"


ABOUT FI SPHI L

NATURE
FISPhil is a non-profit professional organization where
fingerprint specialists coming from different entities
such as the academe, law enforcement agencies,
forensic laboratories, research and training centers
pool their respective expertise for the advancement
of the forensic fingerprint examination in the
Philippines.

VISION
We strive to be a venue for expert
consultancy, research and innovation, teaching
and continuing professional development in
the field of forensic fingerprint examination.

GOAL
The goal of the FISPhil is to bridge the gap between
academic research, teaching, and forensic
practice by making it of service to all stakeholders
within the criminal justice system. Such can be
attained by drawing on skills and expertise from
diverse scientific fields across the fingerprint
discipline in the law enforcement agencies, and
training or teaching institutions.

OBJECTIVES
1. To provide a central venue for the forensic
fingerprint specialists to promote and share
individual's interest and skills in fingerprint
science;

2. To advance the study of fingerprint
identification through
educational conference, scientific
demonstrations, exhibits, seminar, and the
like;

3. To encourage research on friction ridge
identification; and

4. To promote camaraderie of all fingerprint
professionals.

For more details, please visit our website at:
http://fingerprintphilippines.weebly.com
THE FI SPHI L LOGO
The Magnifying Lens as the basic tool of the
examiner in conducting analysis and comparison of
fingerprints.

The Map of the Philippines is edited to represent
Friction Ridges.

The Gold Color signifies Fingerprint Identification as
the "gold standard" of Forensic Science.

NEWS

Apple Touch ID fingerprint sensor fooled by fake
fingerprint. NO, TOUCH I D I S NOT THE SUPER-
SECURE LOCKED DOWN SOLUTI ON THAT SOME
MI GHT HAVE HOPED APPLE' S FI NGERPRI NT
SENSOR WOULD OFFER TO THE I PHONE 5. A
GROUP OF HACKERS HAVE ALREADY
MANAGED TO BYPASS THE SECURI TY
SETTI NGS.
Read more at
http://www.mobileburn.com/22038/news/apple-touch-
id-fingerprint-sensor-fooled-by-fake-fingerprint



FEATURES

BACK TO BASIC

A fingerprint is a reproduction of the friction ridge
formations of the surface of the volar areas of our
finger, palm, or sole. It is made as the result of the
transfer of secretions or other foreign matter during
contact between the friction ridge skin and a
surface of an object.

Friction ridge skin forms intrauterine prior to birth in
configurations that involve a combination of
genetic and environmental factors.

The term "latent fingerprint" is commonly used to
describe a chance friction ridge print or impression
left at the scene of the crime. It is detected and
enhanced through a variety of physical and
chemical processing techniques employed by the
forensic specialist.

The identification of a latent fingerprint is
established through the agreement of friction ridge
formations between the latent print and the known
print of a particular subject (suspect, victim, or
witness).

"Known" or "exemplar" fingerprints are friction ridge
impressions known to be those of a particular
person (suspect, victim, or witness), taken under
controlled circumstances, such as during an arrest
or application for NBI clearances.

SECURI TI ES AND EXCHANGE COMMI SSI ON
Certificate of Registration of the FISPhil as issued by
the SEC, Cebu City last June 28, 2012.


GALLERY

That, SIR WILLIAM JAMES
HERSCHEL, then was a British
officer in India who used
fingerprints for identification on
contracts on Indian natives, was
the son of the astronomer, SIR
JOHN FREDERICK WILLIAM
HERSCHEL, who coined the term
"photography" in 1839?

He documented his own
fingerprints over his lifetime,
which catapulted him as the first
person to study the persistence
of friction ridge skin, though a
name Hermann Welcker
appears in some books to have
studied earlier than Herschel.

In 1858, William James Herschel
used whole handprints as a
signature on contracts. Local
businessman Rajyadhar Konai
was the first person Herschel
handprinted, but it was done as
a way of getting Konai to honor
a contract he had signed than
as a means of identification.

DID YOU KNOW?
THE FISPHIL OFFI CERS

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