Yan family to sue Osang

For insinuating in her talk show last Saturday that the autopsy report on the late Rico Yan was "doctored" to make it appear that the actor did not die of drug overdose, actress and TV host Rosanna "Osang" Roces found herself in deep trouble anew.

Metro Manila police chief Director Edgar Aglipay said he and Yan’s family are mulling filing charges against Roces for damaging his name and that of the late actor.

It will be the second time Roces will find herself in trouble for allegedly "maligning" people in her TV show Star Talk.

Roces is presently facing libel charges for calling Jojo Manlongat, scion of a rich family in Pasig City, a "carnapper."

In the same talk show last Saturday, Roces accused Aglipay of "manipulating" Yan’s autopsy report to make it appear that he died of acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis or bangungot to keep the drug angle away from public scrutiny.

"Bakit hindi ipakita kung may nagawa rin siyang kamalian upang hindi na tularan ng ibang kabataan?" Roces asked. "Hindi naman santo at banal si Rico Yan."

Roces lambasted those who tried to picture Yan as a saint. "Bakit kasi pulos ang kabaitan at kabutihan ni Rico Yan lamang ang inilalabas sa publiko?" she asked her viewers. Roces claimed she was told by a reliable source that actor Dominic Ochoa, who was one of Yan’s companions at Dos Palmas resort in Palawan when the actor died, bought 12 tablets of the designer drug Ecstasy, in Cubao, Quezon City before they left for a vacation.

Roces explained that one of the side effects of Ecstasy is for users to say "I Love You" to other persons, even if they don’t know them personally. She said she experienced the same attitude when she "tested" the drug in the past.

Prior to his death, Roces quoting sources, said, Yan greeted several people in the resort "I Love You" while singing.

"Bakit kasi hindi ilabas ang tunay na resulta ng autopsy kay Rico Yan? Kasi naman may uncle siyang maimpluwensyal," said Roces.

In a radio interview, Aglipay vehemently denied manipulating the result of Yan’s autopsy report.

Aglipay stressed that they waited for doctors and experts to be around before opening the body bag containing Yan’s remains for autopsy.

Yan died March 29 and his body was flown late in the afternoon to Manila on board an ABS-CBN plane. Yan was buried at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City last Thursday.

Earlier, Ochoa also denied reports that Yan died of Ecstasy overdose. In the same radio interview, Ochoa said he is also planning to file charges against Roces for dragging his name into the controversy.

Manlongat, the complainant in Roces’ libel case, along with other members of a car theft gang were arrested by the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) then headed by former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and now Senator Ping Lacson.

In the same talk show, Roces called Manlongat a carnapper, prompting the latter to file multi-million libel charges against her in the Pasig City regional trial court.

Roces posted bail for her temporary liberty.

The management of GMA-7 which is airing Star Talk, aired an apology to the Yan family after realizing the damage brought about by Roces’ "unfounded" accusations. It was not yet known whether Roces would be sanctioned by GMA-7 management.

Meanwhile, the sisters of Yan’s former girlfriend, Claudine Barreto, Marjorie and Gretchen Barreto cried foul yesterday about stories blaming their younger sister for the death of the actor.

"I hope the people would a little bit be broadminded," said actress Marjorie. "Give Claudine a chance. She too has her side on the issue."

Gretchen in a TV interview also accused Yan’s siblings, Geraldine and Bobby of harassing Claudine through text messages, prompting the younger Barreto to leave recently for Hong Kong with Marjorie.

Gretchen said they would answer every accusations hurled against Claudine during a press conference upon her return to the country.