THE National Bureau of Investigation yesterday said the results of the DNA test conducted on the skeletal remains found in Puerto Princesa City were that of missing 22-year-old Jovelyn Galleno.
The NBI finding affirmed a similar test result disclosed by the PNP last month.
“The result became available on September 12, 2022 and the result revealed that DNA profile from the skeletal remains matches with Jovelyn Galleno based on the profile of the reference or biological parents with a 99.99 probability of relationship,” lawyer Giselle Dumlao, the NBI spokesperson, said in a press briefing Monday.
“Since the couple has no other children missing or reported dead, we can say that this is Jovelyn Galleno,” Dumlao added.
Dumlao said the NBI office in Puerto Princesa City conducted a separate crime scene investigation last August 27 and discovered three pieces of human bones.
The skeletal remains were found in Barangay Santa Lourdes last August 23.
Galleno was reported missing last August 5.
Dumlao said the NBI main office sent a team of four forensic experts to assist their district office in Puerto Princesa City in the investigation and DNA analysis.
Galleno’s cousin, Leobert Dasmarinas, has admitted in an extrajudicial confession to the local police that he raped and killed her.
Police said Galleno’s alleged remains were discovered after two of her two cousins, Dasmarinas and Jobert Valdestamon, figured in a heated argument that eventually resulted in a stabbing incident.
Dasmarinas also pointed to the location of Galleno’s remains, where police recovered some of her personal belongings such as cellphone and some identification cards.
Galleno’s parents, however, doubted if the skeletal remains recovered were that of their daughter since she has been missing for only three weeks. They also said an underwear recovered did not belong to their daughter.
This prompted the police to request for a DNA test, which showed a 99.99 percent probability that the remains were that of Galleno.
Dumlao said the NBI DNA test was based on the “bucal swab and blood extraction” taken by their experts from Galleno’s parents.
She explained that the NBI did not conduct dental charting on the remains due to the incomplete dental records submitted by the victim’s dentist.
“So, there was no comparative analysis done by our experts,” Dumlao said of the dental records.
She also said the NBI also conducted polygraph tests on Dasmarinas and Valdestamon.
“As to Leobert Dasmarinas there are deceptive results to some relevant questions. As to Jobert Valdestamon, there is no specific reaction indicative of deception,” Dumlao explained.
All the evidence, she added, pointed to Dasmarinas as the main suspect in conspiracy with Valdestamon.
“The totality of the evidence presented plus the extrajudicial confession showed that we can conclude that Leobert is principally liable in the rape and homicide case against Jovelyn. This is in conspiracy with the other suspect, Jobert Valdestamon,” Dumlao said.
Asked why there are now skeletal remains considering that Galleno was only missing for three weeks, the NBI cited several factors, such as environment and the humid weather, among others.
“The skeletonized remains were found 300 meters from a house and it was a densely vegetated environment infested with carnivorous animals such as lizards and rodents so this can be one of the reasons why there is a fast decomposition process that happened in the remains,” Dr. Analyn Dadis of the NBI medico-legal division said in the same briefing.
