After flurry of PNP pronouncements, NBI 'taking time' on Dacera case
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 1:10 p.m.) — After a flurry of announcements from the Philippine National Police on the death of Christine Dacera, the National Bureau of Investigation has opted to take its time in conducting its probe into the same case.
As of Wednesday, the NBI has yet to submit their full report to the Department of Justice on Dacera’s case. NBI spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin told reporters they are “still running other DNA tests” on Dacera’s body.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra stressed that the NBI is “not rushing its report” as they want “all bases covered” in its investigation.
Guevarra had ordered the NBI to conduct a full parallel probe into Dacera’s death after the DOJ chief deemed that the Philippine National Police’s investigation was “not thorough enough.”
The PNP had declared the case “closed” when they identified the suspects, although they were at that time still at large. They had also filed rape with homicide complaints against the eleven known companions of Dacera on the night before she was discovered unconscious in a Makati hotel bathtub.
But the investigating prosecutor did not immediately charge the respondents and instead converted the proceedings into a full blown preliminary investigation. It said that the PNP had, at that time, presented sufficient evidence on their imputation of crime.
RELATED: Prosecutor general: PNP yet to submit evidence on sexual assault in Dacera case
In last week’s hearing, the PNP had submitted the medico-legal report to the prosecution on January 27, which ruled out homicide as cause of Dacera’s death.“[T]he aortic aneurysm is considered a medical condition. Rape and/or drug overdose will not result to the development of aneurysms,” the report signed by Police. Lt. Gen. Joseph Palmero read.
A forensic report also showed that the white substance recovered from the respondents was not illegal drugs, but was salt.
Preliminary investigation
Guevarra has also expressed confidence that the NBI will be able to submit its report before the preliminary investigation is terminated. He said that as soon as he receives the NBI report on Dacera’s case, he will immediately transmit it to the investigating prosecutor in the Makati City office.
Guevarra clarified that they will merely transmit the report “not in the sense of ‘favorably endorse.’” He added: “The SOJ does not interfere in the prosecutor’s appreciation of the evidence.”
The justice secretary may later be called in to weigh in the prosecution’s investigation should an appeal through a Petition for Review be filed.
The preliminary probe also resumed on Wednesday morning, as the eleven named respondents, attended the submitted, and subscribed to, their respective counter-affidavits, according to a CNN Philippines tweet report.
Copies of their counter-affidavits have yet to be made public as of this story's posting.
The respondents has repeatedly denied that they did any harm to Dacera, who they stressed is their friend. They also insisted that no crime happened in her case.The complainants are given until February 11 to file their reply on the respondents’ defense.
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