The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Friday said testimonies of the witnesses who are staying in the other room where flight attendant Christine Dacera was seen going back and forth during a New Year’s celebration claimed the victim told them her friends were high on illegal drugs.
The NBI- Death Investigation Division (DID) filed several complaints against 11 persons, including a police officer, at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday afternoon.
Dacera was found lifeless by her friends in a bathtub inside her hotel room after celebrating the New Year.
Eric Distor, NBI OIC, said Dacera and her co-workers booked a hotel on December 27 for their celebration with the help of the duty manager who is a friend of one of Dacera’s companion.
Distor said Dacera and her friends were designated in a different room but were transferred to room 2209 as the air conditioning malfunctioned.
Based on the CCTV footage, Dacera and her friends were seen going back and forth to room 2207 where a friend of Dacera’s companion was staying.
“According to the testimonies of the witnesses who checked-in at room 2207, around 3am, victim Dacera told them that she did not want to be at room 2209 because her companions were high for taking party drugs,” Distor said.
Distor said this is in contrast to the sworn statement of the victim’s friends and companions in room 2209.
Distor said their investigation revealed “glaring inconsistencies” with the PNP autopsy report.
“Results of the autopsy report conducted by the NBI- Medico Legal Division Chief revealed that in contrast to the autopsy report of Major Sarmiento,” he said.
“Victim’s urinary bladder was full of urine and in fact the NBI forensic team was able to extract 130ml of urine and no abrasion was found in her labia majora,” he added.
Distor said toxicology examination on the cadaver showed the presence of diltiazem, a prescription drug for the management of hypertension.
He said the PNP Crime Laboratory turned over two pieces of cotton found inside room 2209 which showed the presence of flouromethamphetamine and methamphetamine.
Distor said NBI-DID filed violation of Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act against Mark Anthony Rosales and Rommel Galido for delivering and introducing party drugs;
Perjury was filed against Galido, John Pascual Dela Serna III, and Darwin Joseph Macalla for providing false testimonies; obstruction of justice against Rosales, Galido, Dela Serna, Gregorio Angelo Rafael De Guzman, Jezreel Rapinan, Alain Chen, Reymar English, and Neptali Maroto, lawyer, for giving false and fabricated information to mislead or prevent the law enforcement agencies from apprehending the offenders.
Reckless imprudence resulting in homicide was filed against Dela Serna, Rapinan, Chen and Louie Delima for recklessly neglecting the condition of Dacera which led on to her untimely death.
Also facing a complaint is Police Major Mark Nick Sarmiento for falsification of official document by public officer after he declared untruthful findings on his autopsy report.
NBI said based on the re-autopsy of Dacera’s cadaver, her manner of death is natural, caused by ruptured aortic aneurysm. Ella Dionisio/DMS