KICK STARTING AN INNOCENCE PROJECT

KICK STARTING AN INNOCENCE PROJECT I am kick starting an Innocence Project in the Philippines, with the goal of freeing those who have been wrongly convicted. This is actually not a new idea, this was probably started in the United States about forty years ago, but sad to say, it has not yet reached our shores until now, that is. As of now, we have already formed an organizing committee composed of the DNA Analysis Laboratory under the UP-College of Science (UPCS), the PNP Forensic Group, the UP-Sigma Rho Fraternity (SRF) and the UP-Law Karapatan ng Komunidad sa Loob ng Selda (KAKOSA). We still have to formally invite the UP-College of Law, and we are also in the process of accepting the Philippine Law School-College of Law. DNA analytics is going to be the main technology that will be used for this project. It is such an exact science, and by using DNA evidence, it could be proven without any doubt that a convict in prison is actually innocent, and therefore he or she should be released. Conversely, DNA evidence could also be used to convict those who are guilty. Joining our organizing committee is Dr. Maria Corazon de Ungria of UPCS, Atty. Leonardo de Vera, Mr. Rick Rocamora and Mr. Lino Atienza of SRF and Col. Reynaldo Calaoa of PNP, assisted by Lt. Col. Thess Bodo. The way this project is shaping up, we are probably going to invite many legal minds, starting with the SRF lawyers. We will also need more technical experts, who will probably come from UPCS, PNP and KAKOSA. IKE SENERES/02-20-2024