MANILA, Philippines — Tinapos na ng Makati Prosecutor’s Office ang preliminary investigation ng kasong rape with homicide laban sa mga nakasama ng flight attendant na si Christine Dacera nang araw na siya ay namatay.

Ayon kay Atty. Mike Santiago na abogado ng limang respondent, submitted for resolution na ang kaso kung saan hihintayin na lang ang desisyon ng investigating prosecutor batay sa naipresentang ebidensya ng magkabilang panig.

“This case is already submitted for resolution. Ito’y matapos na magsubmit ang most of the respondents ng kanilang respective rejoinder affidavits,” pahayag ni Santiago.

Inaasahang tatagal ng dalawang buwan bago mailabas ng piskalya ang resolusyon.

Sa pagdining ngayong Miyerkoles (February 17), wala nang karagdagang ebidensya na naibigay ang complainant at hinihintay pa rin nila ang report na ilalabas naman ng National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

“Hinihintay lang naman namin ‘yong final word na manggagaling sa NBI kung meron man silang findings na iba or iko-collaborate lang nila ‘yong findings dito ng PNP. Either way ang kampo lang naman ni Mrs. Dacera ay naghihintay,” pahayag ni Atty. Jose Ledda, ang abogado ng ina ni Christine na si Sharon Dacera.

Maging ang Philippine National Police (PNP) ay bigo pa ring maibigay ang toxicology report.

Naghain lang ng rejoinder affidavits ang ilan sa mga respondent para sagotin ang reply-affidavit ni Sharon Dacera.

Naniniwala naman ang mga abogado ng mga respondent na madi-dismiss ang kaso dahil walang sapat na ebidensya o probable cause na magdidiin ang kanilang kliyente batay na rin sa medico-legal report ng PNP.

“Positive naman kami na walang matibay na…walang matibay na ebidensya na iprinisenta ang mga complainants maging ang PNP upang maging batayan sa pagsasampa ng anomang kaso,” pahayag ni Santiago.

Sa ngayon, ang tanging hangarin ng lang ng mga respondent ay ang malinis ang kanilang mga pangalan sa kaso. MNP (sa ulat ni Dante Amento)

MANILA, Philippines – The family of Christine Dacera on Friday insisted that a DNA test be performed on the organ and tissue specimens that the police used in their autopsy.

The lawyer of the Dacera family, Atty. Brick Reyes said the family demands a DNA test of all organ samples examined by the Philippine National Police (PNP) to determine if they really belonged to Christine.

“Remember the family, the Dacera family never gave any consent for specimens to be taken. Never knew that there were specimens taken, we do not know that these specimens are really part of the body organs of the late Christine,” he said.

The PNP, in its medico-legal report dated Jan. 11, stated that the flight attendant died of natural causes and ruled out rape or homicide as a manner of death – contrary to the family’s belief that there was foul play involved.

The PNP Crime Laboratory said Dacera died due to “ruptured aortic aneurysm” triggered by an increase in blood pressure.

The PNP said that the dilatation on her aorta was present long before she died and that no alcohol or recreational drugs taken the night prior to her death will cause that kind of defect on her aorta.

The report also noted that Dacera’s heart weighed 500 grams, which is larger than the normal 300 grams. The finding supports Dacera’s apparently undiagnosed hypertension, it added.

But the Dacera family rejected the findings, citing Christine’s medical exam at the Philippine Airlines which showed that her heart is normal and without hypertension.

“23-year old flight attendant flying four times a day, 30,000 feet above sea level. Do you think that that heart can withstand this kind of pressure every day? Do you think PAL will not discover na mayroon siyang englarged heart?” Reyes asked.

Reyes said the family is willing to exhume Christine’s body to compare her DNA on the alleged organs examined by the police.

The PNP has declined to comment on Dacera family’s statement and said they would wait for the result of the Special Investigation Task Group’s investigation on the case. – RRD (with details from Correspondent Dante Amento)

MANILA, Philippines — Flight attendant Christine Dacera died of natural causes, according to a medico-legal report released by the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday.

In its report dated January 11, the PNP Crime Laboratory ruled out homicide as a manner of death, saying Dacera died of a ruptured aortic aneurysm.

The report submitted to the Makati Prosecutor’s Office during the continuation of the preliminary investigation on the case stated that the aneurysm was triggered by an increase in blood pressure.

The loss of blood due to a ruptured aorta killed Dacera “within a few hours.”

“Rape and/or drug overdose will not result (in) the development of aneurysms. Even overdose and ruptured aneurysm are two different conditions and cannot be both included as cause of death of a patient,” it stated.

“Based on the available information on hand the manner of death is classified as natural death,” it added.

Dacera died on January 1 after a night of merry-making with some of her friends. Her family believed she was drugged and sexually abused but her companions denied the allegations.

In the medico-legal report, the PNP said that no alcohol or recreational drugs that were taken the night prior to her death will cause that kind of dilatation or defect on her aorta.

“That dilatation is a chronic condition and was present long before she died. If she did not die that fateful night, she will die in any scenario that represents an activity that will increase her blood pressure strong enough to tear that aneurysm,” the report said.

The report also noted that Dacera’s heart weighed 500 grams, which is larger than the normal 300 grams. The finding supports Dacera’s apparently undiagnosed hypertension, it added.

In an interview with reporters at Makati City hall, lawyer Mike Santiago, the counsel of the respondents in the Dacera case said they will let the documents “speak for itself,” and let the prosecutor decide on the evidence presented by the police.

“The PNP submitted today the partial results of the several examinations that they requested, so the documents will speak for itself so we will not make conclusions yet. We will not overstep the power or functions of the prosecutor in this case,” Santiago said.

Meanwhile, the camp of Dacera said they have yet to read the report submitted by the police. They will also await the report from the National Bureau of Investigation in connection with its own probe on the case.

“Mabilis naman yung process kanina, we have no time to extensively study the results. Nag-submit naman sila. Practice naman namin na kung may data kaming na-gather o documents na sinabmit sa amin kasama yung family para isa-isahin,” Atty. Jose Ledda III, one of the lawyers representing the Dacera family, said.

During the continuation of the preliminary investigation on Dacera’s case on Wednesday, the Makati Police submitted additional evidence such as medico-legal report and the results of the DNA analysis and laboratory examination.

But it has yet to submit the toxicology report to the Makati prosecutor’s office.

The next hearing is scheduled on February 3. – RRD (with details from Correspondent Dante Amento)