The return of the remains of the three Filipino peacekeepers who died in the Haiti earthquake will be delayed for a few days as forensic experts from the United Nations need to conduct more tests to ascertain 100 percent identity of the victims, the military said Wednesday.

Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, Jr., AFP spokesman, said the remains of Navy Data Processor 3 Pearlie Panangui, Army Sgt. Eustacio Bermudez, and Air Force Sgt. Janice Arocena, all members of the 10th Philippine Peacekeeping Contingent to Haiti, are expected now to arrive in the country either during the weekend or early next week.

The AFP said earlier the bodies of the three peacekeepers were to arrive Wednesday or Thursday.

Brawner said the remains of the three are now in a funeral home at the Dominican Republic where UN forensic experts will conduct more tests to establish a 100 percent match between the body and the identity.

A report from the AFP Peacekeeping Operations Center in Camp O’Donnell, Capas, Tarlac, said Ambassador McArthur Corsino and Maj. Steve Ducusin visited the office of Christine Boteju-Kyle, the UN Human Resource Officer in Sto. Domingo, last January 25 to facilitate the release of the remains of the peacekeepers.

However, the forensics department reportedly required the submission of ante-mortem data like fingerprints, specific characteristics like scars, tattoo, or other unique matters like removal of gall bladder or appendix that could result in a 100 percent positive match.

Brawner said Kyle could not authorize the release of the remains for repatriation without the forensics department’s confirmation.

“Nagpadala tayo ng finger printing nila, yung records nung teeth nila, and ngayon araw na ito, we are trying to get the records from NBI (National Bureau of Investigation). Anything that would ascertain their identity,” said Brawner.

“We are looking back dun sa experience natin with Col. Batalla, it took them four days to ascertain yung identity niya to have a 100 percent match,” he added. Batalla was a peacekeeper who died of malaria while on a peacekeeping mission in Liberia.

“Hindi naman disfigured yung bodies pero hindi daw sila makuntento dun sa name, sa uniform na may pangalan, at dun sa IDs and pictures,” according to the AFP spokesman.