Marine Corps defends presence at Dacera burial, says no rules violated
MANILA, Philippines — A ranking official of the Philippine Marine Corps asserted that none of the corps' protocols were violated by the presence of its reservists at the burial of Christine Dacera, the flight attendant found dead in a bathtub after a New Year’s Eve party in a Makati hotel where she was allegedly raped and murdered.
In a statement, Maj. Gen. Ariel Caculitan, Marine Corps commandant, disclosed that the uniformed personnel at the funeral rites were reservists who were actually there upon request by Christine’s mother Sharon to provide security and crowd control amid the coronavirus pandemic, which was later granted by the commander of the 12th Regional Community Defense Group.
"There was no military regulation or policy violated. This does not in any way demean anybody, and I assure you that we are one with our investigating agencies in finding out the real truth behind her death," his statement read.
“No military honors were rendered during the burial of Ms. Christine Dacera — no ceremonies, no flag-draped casket, no volleys of fire that constitute interment honors...It’s not forbidden to assisting in carrying the casket if it would help,” Caculitan added.
The PMC commandant was also careful to point out that not all the reservists present at the rites in General Santos City were from the PMC.
Over a week after the controversial incident on New Year’s Day, the circumstances of Dacera's death are still largely unclear.
READ: What we know so far: Death of flight attendant Christine Dacera
The three main suspects who were with Dacera that night were detained in the hours after but have since been ordered released by the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office due to lack of evidence for the rape and homicide complaints, which they have since denied.
After initially tagging the case as "solved," the Philippine National Police has since admitted to lapses in the investigation into the death, saying that an autopsy was not conducted before Dacera’s body was embalmed.
Police Gen. Debold Sinas, PNP chief, had asserted in a press briefing that he still believes the death was a rape-slay, citing evidence he claimed the PNP could not yet share. However, Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento has also since disclosed that the national police has only submitted a medico-legal report and death certificate of Dacera thus far, leaving no evidence yet for such a claim.
The National Bureau of Investigation has also started its investigation of the case.
Follow this page for updates on the case of flight attendant Christine Dacera. Main image from Instagram/xtinedacera
Makati prosecutors junk the complaints against the companions of flight attendant Christine Dacera.
These include complaints of drug violations, obstruction of justice, perjury and reckless imprudence resulting in homicide.
The prosecutors also dismiss complaints by Dacera's companions against her mother, including illegal detention, arbitrary detention, unlawful arrest, unjust vexation, perjury, slander, libel, cyberlibel, incriminating innocent person, intriguing against honor and malicious prosecution.
The National Bureau of Investigation recommends the filing charges against 11 individuals in the death of Christine Dacera. These include the occupants of the hotel room, their counsel and the medico-legal of the Southern Police District.
Police rules out homicide as the cause of death of 23-year-old flight attendant Christine Dacera.
PNP medico-legal report found that Dacera died of aortic aneurysm, which is considered a medical condition.
"Rape and/or drug overdose will not result to the development of aneurysms," the report read.
PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas orders the relief of the Makati police chief in relation to the case of flight attendant Christine Dacera.
According to a report from radio dzBB, the police chief also orders the dismissal of the medico legal of the Southern Police District, as well as two Makati police investigators.
The Department of Tourism revokes the certificate of authority to operate of City Garden Grand Hotel in Makati, which was found liable for gross and evident bad faith in dealing with clients/fraudulent solicitation of business.
The agency says the Makati hotel was found to have misrepresented itself to the public as being allowed to accommodate guests for leisure despite being a quarantine facility.
"The pieces of evidence showed that even prior to the incident and until now, the CGGH is marketing packages to accept leisure guests and never indicated that it is a quarantine hotel," DOT says.
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