Yap: Bounty offered for Dacera case suspects ‘moot, off the table’
Christine Angelica Dacera. Photo from Instagram
MANILA, Philippines — The P100,000 reward he offered for information on the capture of supposed suspects in the death of flight attendant Christine Dacera is now “moot” and “off the table,” ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Eric Yap said Friday.
Yap said this is because respondents of the case have already volunteered to cooperate in the probe of Dacera’s death.
“We suppose that there is no need to recall per se the bounty placed on the persons of interest in the death of Christine Angela Dacera,” Yap said in a statement.
“In principle, the bounty is now considered as moot and now off the table as they have already voluntarily presented themselves and are now cooperating in the investigation,” he added.
Yap said they announced the bounty as part of calls for Dacera after news of her death broke out, a time when most of her companions in the party have yet to surface.
“The fact that there is one person who died, regardless of what transpired that night, is enough to conduct an investigation to discern the truth. Together with the family and friends of Christine, we will continue until justice is served,” Yap added.
Atty. Mike Santiago, legal counsel of four respondents of the case, appealed to Yap and Senator Manny Pacquiao to recall the bounty for the capture of the supposed suspects as it was affecting the safety and security of his clients.
Clark Rapinan, one of the respondents, said he and his parents were being tailed when they went out of their residence on Thursday.
Rapinan and three others have maintained innocence on Dacera’s death.
The Makati City Prosecutor’s Office has returned to the police the provisional charges of rape with homicide against 11 men for further investigation.
