Bato slams PNP for embalming Dacera’s body prior to autopsy

Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Senate PRIB file photo / Joseph Vidal

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Tuesday slammed the Philippine National Police’s  (PNP) excuse on why flight attendant Christine Dacera’s body was already embalmed before being subjected to autopsy.

“I hope hindi na ito mangyari ulit, lalong lalo na yung mga ganitong celebrated case,” Dela Rosa, who is a former PNP chief himself, said during a Senate dangerous drugs board hearing.

(I hope this won’t happen again, especially in a celebrated case like this one.)

“You can just imagine, bakit i-embalm muna bago nag-conduct ng autopsy? So napakalaking tanong, kahit hindi ka expert sa investigation, obvious, pag-inembalsamo mo, obvious na yung crime scene,” he added.

(Why would you embalm the body before you conduct an autopsy? So the big question, even if you are not an expert in the field of investigation, obvious, when you embalmed the body, crime scene is obvious [the crime scene is compromised].)

“Dapat autopsy muna bago embalm, basic ‘yun eh. Dapat lang at kasuhan niyo yung mga involved dun at nakakahiya,” Dela Rosa then lamented.

(It should be autopsy first before the embalming, that’s very basic. A case should be filed against the people involved [in these lapses] because it’s really a shame.)

The family of Dacera previously filed an administrative complaint against Police Maj. Michael Nick Sarmiento, the medico-legal officer of the Southern Police District (SPD), for gross negligence and gross incompetence in preparing his medico-legal report in Dacera’s certificate of death.

In a complaint filed by Dacera’s parents Sharon and Nestor, they said that Sarmiento ordered the embalming of Christine’s body without her family’s consent and without first conducting a medicolegal examination, or taking important forensic samples.

Dela Rosa, meanwhile, further expressed his frustration as he said that forensic experts of the PNP had “extensive training” abroad, and that their equipment were donations from other countries.

“Ganun kasimple na procedure, eh papalpak kayo, nakakahiya,” Dela Rosa said.

(It’s a very simple procedure and you failed it, what a shame.)

But PNP-Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management director PMaj. Gen. Marni Marcos justified to Dela Rosa the embalming procedure.

“We have new guidelines that were created or formed because of the pandemic. As for the medicolegal, it was stated that new guidelines under the new normal for cadavers. The victim had traveled to other places, she came from a hotel that is a quarantined hotel. So with that [your] honor, with the new procedure, we conducted soft embalming,” Marcos then told Dela Rosa.

Dela Rosa, however, did not buy Marcos’ reason.

“Ganunpaman, mali pa rin ang procedure talaga. Ginawa mo na lang depensa yung new guidelines. But still, logic will tell you na mali nga yung ginawa niyo,” he said.

(Nevertheless, the procedure you conducted was wrong. You’ve just used the new guidelines as defense. But still, logic will tell you that what you have done is wrong.)

JPV