Two respondents in the Dacera case joined some concerned Filipinos in hoping the mother of late Christine Dacera will finally move forward after the release of a medico legal report stating that her daughter died of natural causes.
Dacera was found unconscious at a hotel room at the City Garden Grand Hotel in Makati City last January 1 after a night of New Year’s Eve celebrations with friends.
Police reports and the initial autopsy report later stated that Dacera was declared dead at the Makati Medical Center due to ruptured aortic aneurysm.
The death of the 23-year-old flight attendant became the subject of headlines early this month after the Philippine National Police prematurely declared the case closed and tagged her as a victim of “rape-slay” despite the lack of evidence.
READ: Premature ‘case closed’: Suspects in flight attendant’s death contradict PNP’s initial probe
At least three individuals whom Dacera partied with that night were also detained for alleged rape and homicide.
The National Bureau of Investigation later admitted the possibility of lapses in the initial probe and have conducted a second autopsy on Dacera’s remains.
The latest development
Copies of the medico legal report dated January 11 were reported by local media outfits on Wednesday. The PNP Crime Laboratory retained earlier findings which is Dacera’s death due to “ruptured aortic aneurysm,” therefore ruling out homicide.
A medical website defines aneurysm as the swelling of an artery due to a defect in the arterial wall.
In Dacera’s case, the report detailed that the increased blood pressure within her aorta made it burst, and then blood loss will occur.
It also stated that the dilation or aneurym in Dacera’s aorta was a “chronic condition” that “started long time ago or maybe years prior to death.”
“The loss of blood due to the ruptured aorta killed her within a few hours. The dilatation or aneurysm started (a) long time ago or maybe years, prior to her death. No alcohol or recreational drugs taken the night prior to her death will cause that kind of dilatation or defect on her aorta,” the report said.
Rape and drug overdose were also ruled out because they do 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,” the report added.
It concluded that: “The manner of death is classified as natural death.”
Aside from these findings, the white powder substance found in the hotel, earlier suspected to be illegal drugs turned out to be just salt.
READ: "Asin" at hindi illegal na droga ang nakitang puting powdered substance sa isang kwarto ng City Garden Grand Hotel sa Makati City na kung saan binawian ng buhay ang flight attendant na si Christine Dacera. | via @luisitosantos03 pic.twitter.com/Qd8LAfy9pR
— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) January 27, 2021
Hopes to move on
Following these reports, Clark Rapinan and Gregorio de Guzman, also the friends of the deceased and respondents to the case, asked Dacera’s mother, Sharon, to accept the medico legal report’s findings and find peace with it.
In an interview with ANC, Rapinan said that this report is a proof that Dacera indeed died of natural cause.
“Nandoon na rin po ang medicolegal and all documents, nandoon na po e. Nagpapakita na po iyon iyong mga results sana maintindihan niya. Sana tanggapin niya, paniwalaan niya na iyong anak niya namatay sa natural cause,” Rapinan said.
Gregorio De Guzman, in the same interview, also hoped Sharon would find peace.
“I hope you find peace. And if you have, I hope you can help us find our peace and relief from this trauma and all these torture,” he said.
‘PNP to blame’
Filipinos online also echoed the same messages to the Dacera family. However, they renewed their ire toward the PNP, lamenting how their mistakes damaged both parties.
“The Police really saw a potential opportunity in the Dacera Case to brand themselves as heroes but instead revealed their inherent incompetence, thereby turning the case into a huge media circus,” one Twitter user said.
“But PNP forced her friends to come out of closet and show them to the media and blame them for their friend’s death? Imagine how much embarrassment and anxiety they felt while grieving for their friend,” another said.
“Imagine the damage that the nation had caused to all the persons involved. LEARN PEOPLE!!! Never quick to judge and always give people the benefit of a doubt,” another Twitter user wrote.
Some online users, meanwhile, sought cash donations for the respondents who were wrongly accused.
Since it is now proven that Christine Dacera died due to natural cause. Please help her Friends who were wrongly accused by PNP. They lost their work & got huge amount of debt bcs of it.
Some of y’all are so fast to spread the accusations before, now PLS HELP SPREAD THIS TOO. pic.twitter.com/bsBBl4EnOw
— PLS RT PINNED TWEET (@keiluvbot) January 27, 2021
Others also stated that the public can now return to other still unresolved issues involving the police, the military and the government.
Okay, Christine Dacera’s death was due to a natural cause so can we talk about Nuezca’s case now?
— ًrhian (@forclydenj) January 27, 2021
Among the respondents include De Guzman, Rapinan, Rommel Galido, JP Dela Serna, and Valentine Rosales.
RELATED: Dacera’s friends thankful for #FundtheTruth support for legal fees
