The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Monday, Sept. 19, confirmed that the skeletal remains found in Palawan were those of 22-year-old Jovelyn Galleno who had been allegedly raped and had gone missing since last Aug. 5.
NBI Spokesperson Gisele O. Garcia-Dumlao said the identity was determined after a DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) conducted on the skeletal remains recovered from the crime scene matched with those turned over by Jovelyn’s family and the DNA samples taken from the victim’s parents.
“The result revealed that the DNA profile from the skeletal remains matches with that of Jovelyn Galleno’s based on its profile from its reference or biological parents with a 99.99 probability of relationship,” Dumlao said.
She said the DNA analysis took 13 days to complete and became available last Sept. 12.
She also said the results of the DNA analysis were among those submitted by the NBI Puerto Princesa District Office (NBI-PUERDO) before the Puerto Princesa Prosecutor’s Office to be incorporated in the rape and homicide complaint filed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) last Aug. 31 against two arrested suspects -- Leobert Dasmarinas and Jobert Valdeztamon.
“The totality of the evidence presented and the extrajudicial confession, we can conclude that Leobert is principally liable in the rape with homicide case against Jovelyn. This is in conspiracy with Jobert Valdeztamon,” she added.
She noted that Dasmarinas had issued an extrajudicial confession concerning what happened to Jovelyn. Also submitted by the NBI-PUERDO included the polygraph examination conducted on the two suspects.
“The purpose of which is to determine whether or not subjects are involved or in possession of any undisclosed knowledge regarding the instant investigation,” Dumlao explained on the conduct of the polygraph test.
She said the results of the polygraph exams revealed that Dasmarinas showed “deceptive result to some relevant questions,” while, Valdeztamon have “no specific reactions indicative of deception.”
She also said the NBI-PUERDO started a separate and parallel investigation in the case last Aug. 27 based on the Aug. 15 report of the victim’s sister that Jovelyn had been missing since Aug. 5 as well as the Aug. 26 request of Sen. Raffy Tulfo to conduct a probe.
“Our agents from NBI-PUERDO interviewed witnesses including the family of the victim,” she added.