📄 Abstract
The increasing reliance on digital technologies in law enforcement has transformed suspect identification and criminal investigation. This study evaluated the utilization and perceived effectiveness of four Philippine National Police (PNP) digital databases—the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), e-Rogues Gallery, Crime Information, Reporting and Analysis System (CIRAS), and e-Warrant System—among investigators and intelligence operatives in the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO). It further examined the relationship between perceived database effectiveness and investigative outcomes in terms of speed, accuracy, and case resolution, explored the lived experiences of PNP personnel, and developed an intervention framework based on the findings. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data were obtained from 509 respondents using a researcher-made questionnaire, while qualitative data were gathered through structured interviews with 10 key informants. Median and interquartile range were used for descriptive analysis, while Spearman rank-order correlation was used to examine relationships among ordinal variables. The qualitative data were analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings showed uniformly high utilization of the four databases, with respondents generally rating the systems as always utilized and highly effective across speed, accuracy, and case resolution. Spearman correlations were positive and highly significant across all database-outcome pairs (p < .001). Qualitative findings, however, identified operational vulnerabilities involving internet dependence, system interruptions, restricted access, training and technical competence, and incomplete, outdated, or inaccurate records. The study proposes the Digital Investigative Capability and Resilience Framework (DICRF), which emphasizes offline continuity, multi-tiered role-based access, proactive record updating, specialized digital competency, and secure cross-jurisdictional information sharing. The study concludes that digital databases have become essential to modern PNP investigations, but sustained investigative effectiveness requires resilient infrastructure, accurate data, appropriate access controls, and continuing technical capacity development.
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📚 How to Cite:
Kathrine Joy Ong Jose , LEVERAGING DIGITAL DATABASES FOR SUSPECT IDENTIFICATION: AN EVALUATION OF PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE INVESTIGATIVE PRACTICES , Volume 12 , Issue 8, August 2026, EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) , Pages: 689 - 693 , DOI: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra31324