Tuesday, August 19, 2008 For 99.5% accuracy, relatives of sinking victims need to provide 2-3 samples
ADDITIONAL DNA samples from families with missing relatives may be required, said Kathryne Bomberger, director-general of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP).
Bomberger explained that some relatives failed to provide two or three blood samples, giving only partial reference samples to the disaster victim identification (DVI) team.
“For 99.5 percent accuracy, we need to get two to three blood samples from each relative,” Bomberger said earlier.
However, she assured that the submission of only partial results did not affect the identification process, including its speed.
“It is not a problem. I think initially, everybody was traumatized. It is not going to affect the process or the speed of the process,” Bomberger told Sun.Star Cebu.
Today, the ICMP headquarters in Sarajevo, Bosnia will provide a list of families who only provided a partial DNA set. Once these families have been identified, the DVI team will deploy a team to collect the needed DNA samples and additional antemortem information.
The group will meet “to come up with a strategy in order to reach out to these families in the most dignified manner possible, understanding that this may not be easy for them,” added Bomberger.
About 500 bodies are believed trapped inside the Princess of the Stars, a Sulpicio Lines vessel that ran aground and tipped over during a storm last June 21. The wreck remains in Romblon, but will be refloated to retrieve the bodies, as well as keep a cargo of pesticides from contaminating the sea off Romblon.
After the release of 10 bodies last Sunday, Bomberger hoped that additional bodies will be released in the coming days.
“The identification board met last week and conducted a thorough review and that is why we have 10 identifications. We hope that Dr. Bautista will convene the board again tomorrow (today) to make additional identifications,” said Bomberger.
The identification board, chaired by Dr. Renato Bautista, medico-legal chief of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), will have to review all information related to the victim and the victim’s family prior to any release.
Coming up with positive DNA matches at the ICMP headquarters was not enough, said Bomberger. Positive DNA matches have to undergo five reviews by the ICMP before they are forwarded to the identification board.
In case of positive DNA matches, ICMP specialists at their headquarters review the results four times. Confirmed matches are then sent to the ICMP staff member based in Cebu and will undergo another screening. If the matches pass the review, the report is then forwarded to the identification board for a final review and screening.
“This is the same thing we did in Thailand; it is extremely cost-effective, extremely fast. It may be long for the families, but scientifically it is fast,” explained Bomberger.
Bomberger commended Bautista and his DVI team for working efficiently and responding immediately to the disaster.
“The Filipino team has done a terrific job. Whether it is collecting the reference samples, whether it is collecting the sample from the victims, submitting it to us, conducting the identification properly and understanding the DNA match report, which is complicated,” said Bomberger.
While there are already 25 positive DNA matches, Bomberger said they hope to have additional matches and bodies released before the mv Princess of the Stars is refloated.
“Most probably we will be getting additional matches. We will then have to wait for the additional bodies recovered from the ferry,” said Bomberger. (EPB)
