House probe sought on PNP’s ‘mishandling’ of Dacera case

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives’ Makabayan bloc is seeking an investigation on what is called a “mishandling” of the Philippine National Police (PNP) of the case involving the death of flight attendant Christine Dacera.

House Resolution No. 1458 directs the House committee on public order and safety to conduct the said investigation on the PNP.

The Makabayan bloc—which includes Gabriela Partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas; Bayan Muna Reps. Eufemia Cullamat, Carlos Zarate, and Ferdinand Gaite; ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro; and Kabataan Partylist Rep. Sarah Jane Elago—said that the PNP “seems to be in an apparent rush to close the case and trumpet it as a New Year accomplishment, in a bid to save the institution’s tarnished and decaying image amid series of police brutality cases.”

According to the lawmakers, the Makati City police filed a “provisional” charge of rape with homicide against the 11 individuals who were linked to Dacera’s death even if the investigation was still ongoing.

“The PNP’s mishandling of Dacera’s case poses the biggest stumbling block to the quest for truth and justice over Dacera’s death; it should stop using the case to rehabilitate its image if justice must be really served,” the lawmakers said.

The lawmakers pointed out that Dacera’s body was embalmed before being thoroughly examined, making it hard for medico-legal procedures to yield conclusive results.

The release of “unverified and inaccurate information” as well as PNP’s “premature conclusions” also did not help in resolving the case, the lawmakers said.

They said that the PNP prematurely claimed that Dacera’s case is a rape slay case, which resulted in a public outrage from social media directed against the identified suspects.

“The result of the autopsy report indicated that Christine Dacera’s cause of death is a ruptured aortic aneurysm. This is contrary to what the PNP claimed to be a rape-slay case,” the lawmakers said.

The Makati City Prosecutors Office has issued a resolution saying that the evidence submitted by the police to support its complaint was insufficient.

JE