CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION – is an art which deals with the identity and location of the

offender and provides evidence of guilt through criminal proceedings.

INVESTIGATION DEFINED: The collection of facts to accomplish a three-fold aim:

a. to identify the guilty party;

INFORMATION
It is the knowledge/data which an investigator acquired from other persons and records.

Regular Sources – records, files from government and non-government agencies, news items.

Cultivated Sources – information gathered upon initiative of the investigator from informants,
vendors, taxicab driver, GRO, and others.

Grapevine Sources – these are information coming from the underworld characters such as
prisoners and ex-convicts.

INTERVIEW – Is a conversation with a purpose, motivated by a desire to obtain certain

information from the person being interviewed as to what was done, seen, felt, heard, tasted,
smell or known.
This is the questioning of a person believed to possess knowledge that is in official
interest to the investigator.

BASIC ASSUMPTIONS
Nobody has to talk to law enforcers. No law compels a person to talk to the police if he
does not want to. Therefore, people will have to be persuaded, always within legal and ethical
limits, to talk to law enforcers. This makes interviewing an art.

I.R.O.N.I.C. FORMAT
The interview of a witness can be described by its acronym ‘IRONIC’ which stands for Identity,
Rapport, Opening Statement, Narration, Inquiry, and conclusion.

Identity – prior to the commencement of an interview, the investigator should identify himself to
the subject by name, rank and agency. Except, when there is no need to know the officer’s
identity.

Rapport – it is good to get the positive feeling of the subject towards the investigators, such
friendly atmosphere is a vital for both the subject and the investigator t have a better interaction.

Opening Statement – the investigator must have to indicate why the subject is being
contracted.

Narration – the witness should be allowed to tell all he knows with little interruptions from the
investigator.

Inquiry – after all information have been given by the subject, that is the time for the
investigator to as question to clarify him about the case under investigation.

Conclusions – after the interview, it is but proper to close the interview with outmost courtesy
and thanking the subject for his cooperation.
INTERROGATION –is a questioning of a person suspected of having committed an offense or a
person who is reluctant to make full disclosure of information in his possession which is
pertinent to the investigation.

Emotional Appeal
Place the subject in the proper frame of mind. The investigator should provide emotional
stimuli that will prompt the subject to unburden himself by confiding. Analyze the subject’s
personality and decide what motivation would prompt him to tell the truth, and then provide
those motives through appropriate emotional appeals.

Sympathetic appeal
The suspect may feel the need for sympathy or friendship when he is apparently in
trouble. Gestures of friendship may win his cooperation.

Kindness
The simplest technique is to assume that the suspect will confess if he is treated in a
kind and friendly manner.

Extenuation
The investigator indicates he does not consider his subject’s indiscretion a grave
offense.

Shifting the blame

The interrogator makes clear his belief that the subject is obviously not the sort of person
who usually gets mixed up in a crime like this. The interrogator could tell from the start that he
was not dealing with a fellow who is a criminal by nature and choice.

CUSTODIAL INTERROGATION/INVESTIGATION – is the questioning of a law enforcement

officer on a person under custody and otherwise deprived of his freedom or liberty. This is the
stage in investigation where there is strict observance of the Miranda Doctrine.

MIRANDA DOCTRINE – this case which entitled Miranda vs. Arizona, is a US Supreme Court
Jurisprudence which laid down the constitutional rights of the accused during custodial
investigation. It was incorporated in our 1973 Constitution and later in the 1987 Constitution of
the Philippines.

INSTRUMENTATION
It is the application of instruments and methods of physical science to the detection of
crimes. In cases where there are no significant physical evidence to be found, then the use of
instrumentation is relatively unimportant.

CONFESSION– is the direct acknowledgement of guilt arising from the commission of a crime.
Extra-Judicial Confession – those made by the suspect during custodial investigation.

Judicial Confession– those made by the accused in open court. The plea of guilt may be
during arraignment or in any stage of the proceedings where the accused changes his plea of
not guilty to guilty.

ADMISSION– is a self-incriminatory statement by the subject falling short of an

acknowledgement of guilt. It is an acknowledgement of a fact or circumstances from which guilt
maybe inferred. It implicates but does not incriminate. It is also an acknowledgement that a fact,
action or circumstances are true which strongly infer or directly admit guilt but lacks the detail of
the elements of the crime.

CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE - facts or circumstances from which, either alone or in

connection with other facts, the identity of the person can be inferred.

Motive – is what induces the criminal to act

Intent –is the result or accomplishment of the act

Opportunity –is the physical possibility that the suspect could have committed the

CORPUS DELICTI– is the body of the crime or fact of specific loss or injury sustained. It
constitutes the essential parts or elements in the commission of the crime.

ASSOCIATIVE EVIDENCE – these are the pieces of evidence that will link the suspect to the
crime scene. The suspect may leave some clues at the scene such as weapons, tools,
garments or prints.

TRACING EVIDENCE – articles which assist the investigator in locating the criminal. Stolen
goods in the possession of the suspect in an example of tracing evidence.

MODUS OPERANDI – is the method of operation by a specific criminal or criminal syndicate. It

is a distinct pattern of how a crime is committed and is established by a series of crimes under
one classification. The modus operandi of one criminal is distinct and different from the other. It
is a criminal trademark, logo or brandname.

INFORMANT – is a person who gives information to the police relevant to a criminal case about
the activities of criminals or syndicates.

Anonymous informant – do not wish to be identified.

Rival elimination informant – to eliminate competition.
False informant – reveals information of no consequence or value.
Frightened informant – motivated by anxiety.
Self-aggrandizing – hangs about the fringes of the criminals.
SURVEILLANCE – is the secret observation of persons, places,and vehicles for the purpose of
obtaining information concerning the identities or activities of the subject.

SURVEILLANT – is the person who maintains the surveillance or performs the observation.

SUBJECT – the person or place being watched or surveyed.

TAILING OR SHADOWING – is the act of following a person, depends on the number of

surveillant available, volume of pedestrian traffic and importance of concealing the surveillance.

One man –extremely difficult and should be avoided, if unavoidable keep subject in view at all
times.
Two man – two agents are employed to follow the subject.

ABC method – reduces the risk of losing the subject, affords greater security agents detection.

Progressive/Leap from method – poor chances of obtaining good results, agents are stations
at a fixed point assuming that subject followed the same general route each day.

Combined foot-auto surveillance – employment of surveillants on foot and agents in an

automobile.

AUTOMOBILE SURVEILLANCE
The methods of auto surveillance to be used depends upon the numbers and type of
surveillance vehicles available, the volume of vehicular traffic in the area, the importance of
concealing the surveillance from the subject, and the subject’s estimated ability to detect and
elude surveillance. At all times each vehicle should be occupied by at least two agents; one to
concentrate on driving, and the other to observe, take notes, operate radio equipment, or to
dismount and continue the surveillance on foot.

UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION – is a form of investigation in which the investigator assumes

a different and unofficial identity in order to obtain information.

Undercover- an investigative technique in which the Agent’s/Investigator’s official identity is

concealed to accomplish an investigative mission.

Natural cover- using the individual’s true identity, occupation or profession.

Artificial cover- the manufacture of documents, false documents, passports, or forged

documents.

CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION

It is the conduct of processes, more particularly, the recognition, search, collection,
handling, preservation and documentation of physical evidence to include the identification and
interview of witnesses and the arrest of suspect/s at the crime scene.
SOCO (Scene of the Crime Operation) – Republic Act6975 as Amended by Republic Act 8551
(PNP Law). The former law placed the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory as an
Operational Support Unit. The Crime Laboratory established the so-called Scene of the Crime
Operation (SOCO) which is field operation. This is now an innovation because the SOCO now
gathers all evidence at the crime scene and takes custody of them, marking and tagging them
which otherwise the duty of the criminal investigator before.

GOLDEN RULE AT CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION

Never touch, move, or alter any object at the crime scene unless it has been
photographed, measured, and sketched from any conceivable angle.

Command Post – an area which, is ideally located adjacent to the Crime Scene where the CSI
Evidence Custodian stays and receives the pieces of evidence turned over to him for
safekeeping by the other evidence collectors.

PHOTOGRAPHING THE CRIME SCENE

The main objective crime scene photography is to create an accurate objective visual
record of the crime scene before any item ismoved as possible physical evidence.

General View or Long-Range – photograph of the over-all scene.

Distance: From the doorway to the room and other corners of the room

Mid-Range View
Distance: Eight or ten feet from the victim

Close-up View – every physical evidence must be photographed in close-up view and for
different angles.

CRIME SCENE SKETCHES

A rough sketch is prepared indicating the actual measurement of things with scale and
proportion observed and oriented to the North Pole. All necessary information is placed in the
sketch.

Sketch of Locality- give picture of the scene, the crime and its environs, including neighboring
buildings, roads, etc.

Sketch of the Ground- picture of the scene of the crime with its nearest physical surrounding.
Sketch in Details – the immediate scene only.

Exploded/ cross projection – gives the clear impression of the scene in cases where blood
stains or bullet holes are found.

Rectangular coordinates method – a sketching method that involves measuring the distance
of an object from two fixed lines at right angles to each other.

Triangulation method – a sketching method that requires measuring the distance of an object
along a straight line from two widely separated fixed reference points.
Baseline method– a sketching method that makes measurements along from a single
reference line, called a baseline, which can be established by using a length of string, chalk line,
or some other convenient means.

Compass point method– a sketching method that requires a protractor or some method of
measuring angles between two lines. One point is selected as the origin and a line extending
from the origin becomes an axis from which the angles can be measured.

Cross projection method – a sketching method in which the ceiling appears to open up like a
lid of a hinged box, with the four walls opening outward. Measurements are then indicated from
a point on the floor to the wall.

CRIME SCENE SEARCH

A crime scene search could only be started after it has been photograph and sketched to
systematically look for physical evidence that may prove useful in establishing that a crime has
been committed and to determine what method of operation the perpetrator may have used.

Strip or Line Search Method – the searchers will proceed at the same pace along the path
parallel to one side of the rectangle.

Double Strip or Grid Method – is a combination of the strip search and is useful for large crime
scene.

Spiral or Circular Method – the searchers will follow each other in the path of a spiral,
beginning in the outside and spiraling towards the center or vice versa in a clockwise or counter
clock-wise direction.

Quadrant of Zone Method – the area to be searched is divided into four quadrants and each
searcher is assigned to one quadrant.

Wheel, Radial or Spoke Method – is applicable for area which is considered to be

approximately circular or oval. The area is then divided into six quadrants in a pie-like fashion. .

PHYSICAL EVIDENCE – these are the articles and materials which are found in connection
with the investigation and which aid in establishing the identity of the perpetrator or the
circumstances under which the crime was committed or which, in general assist in the
prosecution of criminal. It embraces any object, living or inanimate, solid, liquid, or gas state.

CHAIN OF CUSTODY
It is the number of persons who handled and possessed the pieces of evidence the
moment they were collected, marked and tagged, up to the time of the final disposition of the
case.

Conduct of Final Survey

The team leader makes a final review on the crime scene to determine whether or not
the processing has been completed.