MANILA, Philippines — The footage of Christine Dacera’s celebration of New Year’s Day that surfaced on news reports was cut and altered, a respondent in the flight attendant’s case said Thursday.
Valentine Rosales, one of the respondents in the alleged rape-killing case, was seen being kissed by Dacera based on the footage of the hotel’s 22nd floor in Makati, where he and the other guests partied with her.
“First of all, iyong nilabas nila kagabi na na footage nakita ako sa video, kasi iyong ni-release nila is putol. Hindi pinakita iyong buong kiss. Ang nangyari diyan, inalter nila na parang something na may nangyari,” said Rosales in a press conference.
(First of all, the footage they released showed my face, but what they released was cut. They did not play the raw footage that revealed the whole kissing moment. It was altered to make it appear that something wrong happened.)
“Pero in my Facebook account, 2 points something million views na siya ngayon, I posted the whole scene na siya (Dacera) nag-initiate ng kiss sa akin,” Rosales further said.
(In my Facebook, which has 2-point something million views, I posted the whole scene where Dacera initiated the kiss.)
He added that it was “absurd” to say that Dacera was raped and killed by one of the guests because they are all members of the LGBTQ+ society. At one point, he was forced to come out as gay to his family.
“It is absurd kasi first of all pano magiging rape with homicide itong incident na to sobrang napilitan ako na i-come out na sarili ko na bakla ako sa buong family ko kasi iyon ang totoo e,” Rosales said, reacting to claims Dacera was raped and killed.
(It is absurd because first of all how did it become rape with homicide, it’s so absurd that I have to come out and tell my family that I am gay. That is the truth.)
He said all the 11 companions of Dacera in the gathering are LGBT members.
“Gay po kami and walang straight na lalaking [nasa] party na iyon,” said Rosales.
(We are all gay and there are no straight men at that party.)
The provisional charge of rape with homicide against 11 suspects, including Rosales, was referred to police for further evidence.
Dacera family’s legal team said they are looking to find the other hotel footage to determine what really happened to the victim before her death. [ac]