Japanese ambassador to the philippines kazuya endo on wednesday attended the handover ceremony of forensic equipment provided by the japanese government to the newly established national forensics institute (nfi) at the university of the philippines (up) college of medicine. :apanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuya Endo on Wednesday attended the handover ceremony of forensic equipment provided by the Japanese government to the newly established National Forensics Institute (NFI) at the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Medicine.

According to Philippines News Agency, the donation is part of the 'Institutional Investigation of Custodial Deaths Support Project,' which has been implemented over the past two and a half years through Japan's contribution of around USD133,000 to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The project aims to help the Philippines develop an institutional framework for conducting autopsies in custodial death cases, to advance transparency, accountability, and credibility within the country's criminal justice system.

In his remarks, Endo said this marked the first tangible contribution by Japan to support the establishment of the NFI. The donation represents the culmination of shared efforts to ensure that forensic investigations in custodial death cases are conducted with professionalism, transparency, and integrity, he said. He underscored that the institute was created to strengthen the forensic capabilities of law enforcement agencies and judicial authorities, and highlighted Japan's ongoing cooperation with the UNODC in enhancing the Philippines' capacity to investigate custodial deaths.

The NFI, in coordination with the Department of Justice, has also contributed to the development of a custodial death management policy. Strengthened forensic capacity through this initiative is expected to reinforce the policy, bolster the justice system, and further advance Japan-Philippines judicial cooperation.