Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
INTRODUCED BY REP. PM VARGAS 
AN ACT 
MODERNIZING THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION TECHNIQUES OF LAW 
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Criminal investigation has always been the foundation for the proper 
administration of justice. In that, the decision on whether to consider a person 
a suspect hinges on the quality of the evidence gathered. Despite this, it is a 
concern that the investigation techniques employed by the Philippine National 
Police (PNP) are outdated. These procedures have long been replaced by their 
counterparts in first world countries. 
An example of an outdated technique still being practiced is paraffin 
testing. Currently, paraffin testing is used in the Philippines to determine if a 
person in interest has handled a gun in connection with a possible crime. 
When a firearm is discharged, an assortment of vapors and particulate 
material are expelled in the area around the firearm. However, this is largely 
considered unreliable in countries with advanced criminal investigation 
techniques. These products of firearm discharge are collectively referred to as 
gunshot residues. Studies in the United States have shown, however, that it 
is not essential for a person to discharge a firearm to have gunshot residue 
since the same can be transferred by means other than firing a gun. The 
United States now consider gunshot residues for the purpose of estimating 
firing distances, identifying bullet holes, and to determine whether or not a 
person has discharged a firearm. It is not used to determine whether the 
person in interest did in fact have a connection with firing the firearm used in 
a crime. 
Further, it is of concern that there is an absence of an “evidence library” 
in most police stations here in the Philippines. In all first world countries a 
room or “evidence library” is dedicated for the purpose of storing all evidence 
gathered by the law enforcement offices until properly turned over to the 
January 23, 2023
12:39 pm
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courts. The concerned police officer, if negligent, can lose the physical evidence 
and as a result of which destroy the case of the public prosecutor. Our judicial 
system puts a premium in the chain of custody of evidence, in that, the 
tampering of which can mean the acquittal of a notorious drug lord. 
This bill seeks to solve the problems faced by the PNP and other 
government investigation agencies by laying the groundwork for the 
modernization of its criminal investigation techniques. It seeks to educate our 
law enforcement personnel with new techniques and phase out obsolete 
techniques which prejudice the rights of the accused and diminish the people’s 
confidence in the criminal justice system.  
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly 
sought. 
REP. PM VARGAS   
Fifth District, Quezon City 


Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
INTRODUCED BY REP. PM VARGAS 
AN ACT 
MODERNIZING THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION TECHNIQUES OF LAW 
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Modernization of 
Criminal Investigation Act” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of the 
government to strengthen the person’s right to due process through 
continuous education of our law enforcement personnel of modern day 
criminal investigation techniques for the purpose of proper administration of 
justice.  
SECTION 3. Standards in Criminal Investigation. – All law enforcement 
agencies shall be guided by the following standards in conducting their 
investigations: 
a. The constitutional rights of all parties shall be respected at all times.
Towards this end, obsolete and unreliable crime investigation
methods, such as paraffin testing, shall be phased out;
b. One of the most important aspects of securing the crime scene is to
preserve the scene with minimal if not without any contamination and
disturbance of physical evidence. The initial response to an incident
shall be expeditious and methodical. Upon arrival, the officer shall
assess the scene and treat the incident as a crime scene;
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c. The safety and physical well-being of officers and other individuals, 
in and around the crime scene, shall be the initial responding officers’ 
priority; 
d. The initial responding officers shall ensure that medical attention is 
provided with minimal, if not without, contamination of the scene  
e. Controlling, identifying, and removing persons at the crime scene 
and limiting the number of persons who enter the crime scene and 
the movement of such persons is an important function of the initial 
responding officers in protecting the crime scene; 
f. Defining and controlling boundaries provide a means for protecting 
and securing the crime scene; 
g. The initial responding officers at the scene shall provide a detailed 
crime scene briefing to the investigators in charge of the scene; 
h. All activities conducted and observations made at the crime scene 
must be documented as soon as possible after the event to preserve 
information; 
i. The investigators in charge shall identify specific responsibilities, 
share preliminary information, and develop investigative plans in 
accordance with departmental policy, local, and national laws; 
j. The scene “walk-through” provides an overview of the entire scene, 
identifies any threats to scene’s integrity, and ensures protection of 
physical 
evidence. 
Written 
and 
photographic 
documentation 
shall provide a permanent record; 
k. Based on the type of incident and complexity of the scene, the 
investigators in charge shall determine team composition. Trained 
personnel shall perform scene processing; 
l. Contamination 
control 
and 
preventing 
cross-contamination 
at 
single or multiple scenes is essential to maintaining the safety of 
personnel and the integrity of evidence; 
m. The investigators in charge shall ensure documentation of the scene 
using photos, videos, sketches, measurements and notes, among 
others; 
n. The investigators must prioritize the collection of evidence to prevent 
loss, destruction, or contamination; 
o. Evidence at crime scene that is in the process of documentation, 
collection, preservation, or packaging should be handled with 
attention to scene integrity and protection from contamination or 
deleterious change. During the processing of the scene, and 
following 
documentation, 
evidence 
should 
be 
appropriately 
packaged, labeled, and maintained in a secure, temporary manner 
until final packaging and submission to a secured evidence storage 
facility or the crime laboratory; 


p. Law enforcement personnel and other responders shall participate 
in or initiate a crime scene debriefing to ensure the crime scene 
investigation is complete and to verify post-scene responsibilities; 
q. The investigators in charge shall direct another walk-through at the 
conclusion of the scene investigation and ensure that the scene 
investigation is complete; and 
r. Reports and other documentation pertaining to the crime scene 
investigation shall be compiled into a "case file" by the investigators 
in charge of the crime scene. This file shall be a record of the actions 
taken and evidence collected at the scene. This documentation shall 
allow for independent review of the work conducted. 
 
 
SECTION 4. Creation of the Crime Investigation Modernization 
Committee. The Crime Investigation Modernization Committee (CIMC) is 
hereby created and shall be composed of the following: 
 
a. The Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government 
(DILG) as Chairperson; 
b. The Chief of the Philippine National Police; 
c. The Director of the National Bureau of Investigation; and 
d. Two Experts in forensic science to be appointed by the President.  
 
SECTION 5. Duties of the CIMC. The CIMC shall have the following 
responsibilities: 
 
a. Conduct a study on the modern methods of criminal investigation 
and their applicability to the Philippines; 
b. Send scholars abroad for training in forensic science. They shall be 
required to render government service for at least five years after 
completion of their study; 
c. Create a manual for law enforcement officers according to the 
standards enumerated in Section 3 of this Act. This manual shall 
serve as the basic requirement in all subsequent criminal 
investigations. It shall be the responsibility of the CIMC to train the 
members of all law enforcement agencies according to the 
procedures outlined by the manual; 
d. Complete a study on the feasibility of creating a course on Forensic 
Science in state universities to be submitted to Congress within two 
years after the creation of the Committee; 
e. Engage in dialogues with foreign police agencies on possible sharing 
and transfer of technology in forensic investigation; 


f. 
Within three years after the creation of the CIMC, it shall submit a 
report to Congress on the costs and ways of implementing a 
comprehensive program of modernization of crime investigation. 
 
SECTION 6. Funding. The amount necessary for the proper implementation 
of this Act shall be generated from the funds of the Department of Interior and 
Local Government. 
 
SECTION 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within sixty (60) days 
from the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of the Department of Interior and 
Local Government shall, in coordination with other stakeholders, issue the 
necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act. 
 
SECTION 8. Separability Clause. If any provision or section of this Act is 
held invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions and sections not affected 
thereby shall remain in full force and effect. 
 
SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. All laws, presidential decrees, executive 
orders, or issuances or any part thereof which are inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 10. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or two (2) newspapers of the general 
circulation 
 
Approved,