Dacera’s mother sees cover-up

MANILA, Philippines — The mother of Christine Dacera believes that there is a cover-up in the death of the 23-year-old flight attendant as more persons of interest are being implicated in the case, a lawyer said yesterday as the Makati prosecutor’s office started the preliminary investigation on the alleged rape-slay case.

“The family believed that there is a cover-up,” Brick Reyes, lawyer for the Daceras, said, adding that they were waiting for the results of the second autopsy conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation forensic team to determine if she was drugged.

Reyes said they would identify more respondents, including the guests at Room 2207 of the City Garden Hotel in Makati where Dacera was found unconscious on Jan. 1.

“Maraming loose ends. May mga additional respondents that may be included pero hindi pa na-identify,” Reyes told reporters.

Dacera was rushed to the Makati Medical Center where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Dacera’s mother, Sharon, disputed the first autopsy report declaring that she died of a ruptured aortic aneurysm.

‘Drug use, mental torture’

Some of the 11 men tagged in the alleged rape-slay of Dacera claimed the police pressured them to admit that there were illegal drugs during the New Year’s Eve party at the hotel.

John Paul dela Serna III accused the Makati police of putting words into his mouth. He claimed the hint of drug use was supplied by investigators.

Dela Serna along with co-respondents Rommel Galido, Gregorio de Guzman, Clark Rapinan and Valentine Rosales appeared before the city prosecutor’s office yesterday.

“The issue insinuating powder drug use actually came from the PNP (Philippine National Police) Makati,” Abigail Portugal, lawyer for the respondents, told reporters.

Galido previously said Dacera confided to him that Mark Anthony Rosales, also a respondent, allegedly put “something in her drink.”

Portugal claimed Dela Serna and Galido were subjected by police to “mental torture and misrepresentation that they would be released from detention and no charges would be filed against them.”

The five respondents all tested negative for drug use, according to Portugal.

The respondents filed their joint counter-affidavit to the police’s provisional complaint of rape with homicide.

The PNP moved to reset the hearing on Dacera’s case as the the second autopsy report remains pending.