FORENSIC pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun said on Friday that her examination of the exhumed remains of 18-year-old Raymart Siapo, one of the alleged victims in the Duterte administration’s drug war, revealed additional skull fractures that she classified as perimortem, or occurring at or around the time of death.
Fortun presented the findings during the first public session of the Philippine Drug War Truth Commission at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila.
The commission’s first session featured Luzviminda Siapo, the mother of the teenager who was abducted and killed in Navotas City on March 29, 2017.
“A lot more fractures as we documented it and as seen in the photographs,” Fortun said.
The original autopsy report noted three gunshot wounds to the head as the cause of death.
Fortun questioned portions of the report, particularly the lack of detailed photographs, diagrams and descriptions of the reported wounds and recovered bullets.
“Where are the pictures? Where are your drawings?” she asked.
Fortun said she could not determine exactly how many times Siapo was shot, based on the remains she examined.
“I don’t know how many times he was shot. Probably more than one,” she said.
She also said the incomplete condition of the remains, including missing portions of the jaw and feet, limited the forensic team’s examination.
Luzviminda Siapo, who testified during the session, recalled events shortly before her son’s death, including a dispute over allegedly missing property that was brought before the barangay on March 28, 2017.
She said Siapo was still alive the following day, March 29, when the parties took up the matter at the barangay.
She later received a message from a relative that said, “Tiil, patay na.”
“Tiil” was Siapo’s nickname, a reference to his clubfoot, according to his mother.
The message was followed by a photograph showing a bloodied Siapo, she said. The photograph prompted her to seek confirmation that her son had died.
Commission members clarified that while the panel focuses on documenting victims’ experiences rather than pursuing criminal charges against specific individuals, gathered evidence, including police reports, death certificates and forensic findings will be made available to the International Criminal Court in The Hague upon request.
They underscored the importance of providing a public forum for families of extrajudicial killing (EJK) victims, noting that many survivors endured years of trauma, silence and social ostracization.
Panelists expressed hope that sharing the testimonies before the body would be both liberating and healing for affected families.
