No definite findings yet on Carlson’s death — Aglipay

There is nothing definite yet on the case of retired actress Ma. Teresa Carlson, who last week leapt to her death from the 23rd floor of a condominium in San Juan, Metro Manila police chief Director Edgar Aglipay said yesterday.

But initial findings in the probe of the San Juan police, and test results of the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory, revealed that Carlson, 38, comitted suicide.

Aglipay stressed that San Juan police would continue conducting a deeper probe into Carlson’s death until the case is fully resolved.

"We are too eager to finally resolve Carlson’s case so that the family can lay down to rest not only the victim but the case as well," Aglipay said in an interview.

Meanwhile, Carlson’s sisters Gigette Kruz and Joanna Bronson arrived from California yesterday to pay their last respects to the victim and also to conduct their own probe on the apparent suicide.

Upon their arrival, Kruz and Bronson called up Superintendent Rodrigo de Gracia, San Juan police chief, and set a meeting to know firsthand the progress of the police investigation.

De Gracia said both Kruz and Bronson expressed curiosity why Carlson would take her own life by jumping from the 23rd floor of Platinum 2000 on Annapolis Street, San Juan, at around 1:10 a.m. last Friday.

The two, according to De Gracia, asked for a copy of the autopsy report on the body of their sister, whose acting career was cut short by her marriage to a prominent Ilocano politician and alleged wife-beater.

The San Juan police are also waiting for the autopsy report to determine if Carlson was really high on drugs when she leapt to her death.

The local police chief also said he would ask the two sisters whether Carlson mentioned anything to them the last time they talked.

"Perhaps Carlson told them something that could help in our investigation," he said.

Aglipay said initial findings of the PNP crime laboratory showed that there was no foul play in Carlson’s death.

He stressed that aside from the housemaid, Rochille Flores, 27, and the security guard on duty, a certain Martin, no other person was in the vicinity of the victim’s rented penthouse when Carlson ended her life.

Hours before the incident, Flores said she and Carlson went to Malacañang to hand over to President Arroyo a videotape purportedly showing Carlson’s husband, former Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, beating two of their children.

However, Mrs. Arroyo was then out of the country and Palace guards denied her entry, instead directing her to the parking lot to find somebody who would receive the tape.

From Malacañang, the two rented a taxi to take them back to Platinum 2000, where they arrived at around 11:57 p.m. Thursday.

Earlier, Flores told police the former actress was taking a lot of medicine, which Carlson described as her "vitamins."

Carlson, it will be recalled, appeared on TV sometime last year and admitted she was a battered wife. She retracted her statements months later, and Fariñas himself denied the accusations, claiming his wife suffered from "severe bouts of hallucination."