Supt. James Goforth, Dumaguete City police chief, yesterday expressed apprehension over the possible delay of forensic examinations on crime evidence in the rape-slay of an 8-year-old girl in Brgy. Bajumpandan recently.

Goforth was reacting to reports that the Commission on Audit and the Accounting Office of the Dumaguete City government had finally released the checks for P30,000 so that forensic experts of the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory regional office in Cebu City can deliver the evidence to their national headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

He said that the stringent government processes will slow down police investigation in the murder of the grade III pupil, whose body was found with her throat slashed in a sugarcane field July 3.

Goforth said his men are trying to solve the crime that sparked public outrage in Dumaguete when the police announced that they still do not have a suspect in custody.

But the recent development in the issuance of checks will affect the efforts of the police to expedite investigation and bring the perpetrators to court, he added.

He said the checks were in the names of DNA examiner Chief Insp. David Alexander Patriana and serolory examiner Senior Insp. Oliver Lariosa of the regional PNP Crime Laboratory.

The checks cannot be encashed by another person so they will have to be mailed to Cebu, and it will take a number of days for them to be cleared.

The amount is intended for PCL experts to hand-carry the blood and hair samples taken from the crime scene, and from the T-shirts and the house of a “person of interest” whom the police had earlier invited for questioning.

Goforth, said he is confused by the process of releasing government funds but added there is nothing they can do but wait for the forensic examination results before the police can proceed with their investigation.*JFP

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