Duntugan still a suspect despite lack of evidence

Juan Duntugan, the possible suspect behind the killing of US Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell, remains as such despite the absence of fingerprints and blood from the material pieces of evidence examined by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory. Cordillera Region Police director Chief Superintendent Raul Gonzales said late Thursday afternoon that the initial findings on the dactyloscopy and serology conducted at the PNP Crime Lab in Camp Crame "does not automatically drop" Duntugan from their suspicion that he committed the crime. "It just proves that we need more evidence to pin down who did that crime…We have to exert more effort," Gonzales said when reached by phone an hour after Crime Lab director Chief Superintendent Arturo Cacdac told reporters at Camp Crame about the initial findings. But he admitted that the findings "will slow down" their investigation because their efforts were already geared towards pinning down Duntugan. Gonzales maintained that Duntugan had been possibly identified by a child witness as the man bringing along the bag of Campbell on April 8, the day the latter was last seen alive. Campbell was supposed to go on hiking in Barangay Battad in Banaue, Ifugao, which provides a good view of the Banaue Rice Terraces when she was killed. The police suspect that robbery is the motive of the crime. Campbell's remains were located April 18, buried with mud and soil except her foot. The autopsy conducted on it showed that the 40-year-old native of Virginia succumbed to multiple traumatic blunt injuries to the head. Based on the dactyloscopy conducted on the two empty cans of sardines, empty cigarette pack, cosmetic sun block, digital camera, sunglasses, eyeglasses, and others, no latent prints were lifted. The serology conducted as well on the pestle, and two pairs of denim pants yielded negative for blood. Asked if these indicate the absence of other person/s at the crime scene, Cacdac replied: "Unfortunately, that's how it is as of this moment. But we're still hoping that the DNA examination will yield something – the presence of another set of DNA which will say that there is another person to be identified." Gonzales said police has yet to hold custody of Duntugan. - GMANews.TV