Death of Christine Dacera

The death of Christine Dacera occurred in the early hours of New Year's Day of 2021, when Dacera was found unconscious in a bathtub in a hotel in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. Dacera was a flight attendant for PAL Express who was based in Manila, Philippines. She was declared "dead on arrival" at around 12:25 p.m. (PHT) after she was rushed to Makati Medical Center. Initially reported as rape and homicide case, Dacera's death certificate listed the cause of death as an aortic aneurysm, a form of Aortic dissection. However, the Dacera family believed that Dacera was raped and disputed the medico-legal report. In an investigation, eleven men who were with Dacera before her death have been described by authorities as "persons of interest". The rape and homicide charges filed against the men were later dismissed due to lack of evidence. Dacera's death gained widespread media attention as a result of suspicious circumstances which appeared to contradict the findings of the Philippine National Police.
Christine Dacera.
Christine Angelica Faba Dacera (April 13, 1997 – January 1, 2021) was a flight attendant for the Philippine Airlines subsidiary PAL Express. The second of the four siblings, she graduated "cum laude" with a Bachelor of Arts in media arts from the University of the Philippines Mindanao in Davao City. Although hailing from General Santos, Dacera was based in Manila due to career exigencies at PAL Express.
Investigation.
On December 31, 2020 at 11:37 pm, Dacera had asked her mother for her blessing to celebrate the New Year with her co-workers at the City Garden Grand Hotel in Makati. She was taken to Makati Medical Center on January 1, 2021 and was declared dead on arrival.
According to officials from Makati Police Station, timestamped CCTV footage recovered from the morning of Dacera's death indicates that the woman and several suspects were together, celebrating the New Year, several hours before the crime took place. Two of Dacera's friends who appeared in the footage have since stated that they are gay and would "would not do any harm to her". At roughly noon on January 1, Dacera's body was found in a bathtub in room 2207 of the City Garden Grand Hotel. According to police, several bruises were found on Christine's body and there were indications that Dacera was abused. In an autopsy, no signs of being choked or beaten on the head were found.
The police initially reported her case as a "rape-slay" but according to the autopsy report conducted by the coroner, Police Major Michael Nick Sarmiento, Dacera died from ruptured aortic aneurysm. Police stated that the cause of death could have been natural, however lacerations on her thighs, contusions on her knees, and scratches were found on Dacera's body. Lacerations and sperm were also found in her genitalia, indicating that there was sexual contact prior to Dacera's death. On January 5, 2021, following the identification of several suspects the Philippine National Police (PNP) declared Dacera's case "solved", despite widespread claims of a lack of evidence and a "botched" investigation. On the same day, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Debold Sinas threatened to hunt down the suspects of Dacera's death if they did not surrender themselves for three days. A second autopsy has since been conducted on Dacera's body but the results remain confidential.
On January 7, 2021, the PNP admitted that they had presently not collected sufficient evidence to adequately investigate the circumstances and possible perpetrators of Dacera's death. On January 10, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) obtained bodily fluid from Dacera's remains from the second autopsy, conducted on January 9. The samples are yet to be subjected to a DNA test. On the same day, the PNP said that they identified the eight participants in the room 2207, where the death and the events of the evening transpired.
On January 27, 2021, the Philippine National Police released a medico-legal report indicating that Dacera died of natural causes, particularly aortic aneurysm, ruling out homicide. However, Dacera's family disputed the results.
On April 23, 2021, the Makati Prosecutor's Office dismissed the rape and homicide cases filed against the 11 respondents due to lack of evidence.
Investigation of City Garden Grand Hotel.
The City Garden Grand Hotel was investigated for possible violations of the regulations related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, specifically regarding a provision that only two people are permitted to check into a room. The Department of Tourism subsequently revoked the hotel's permit to operate, suspended the hotel's accreditation for six months, and fined the hotel on January 14.
Reactions and aftermath.
On Monday, January 4, 2021, the hashtags #JusticeforChristinaDacera, #StopVictimBlaming and #ProtectDrunkGirls trended on Twitter. Dacera's death sparked online calls for justice, and condemnation of rape and victim blaming, with some users also criticizing Dacera for the clothes she wore and alcoholism. PAL Express expressed sympathy in a press release for the death of Dacera. Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno said that the death penalty for the heinous crimes such as rape and murder is not the solution to the crime, but pressed for justice for Dacera and her family. On the same day, flight attendant's mother sought another autopsy to dispute the initial findings of the police that Dacera died of natural causes.
Several public figures and celebrities, who admitted to having shared inaccurate & misleading information regarding the case on Twitter last January 4 (TV personality Bianca Gonzales, singer Kakie Pangilinan, and activist Francis Baraan), have issued their apologies the following day to both the PNP's alleged 'persons of interest' and to the public.
The news of Dacera's death was conveyed to her family approximately twelve hours after she died. They added that there was a possibility that Dacera had been raped. Since the police's statement does not match the medico-legal result, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will conduct an autopsy on Dacera's corpse. On January 6, Dacera's wake was first held privately in Pasay and later in Camp Crame, Quezon City. Her remains aboard a Philippine Airlines Airbus A330 operating as flight PR453, arrived in General Santos at 10:00 am on January 7. Dacera was laid to rest in General Santos on January 10.