HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE | Forensic expert says PNP’s rape claim on Dacera’s death ‘not convincing’

January 7, 2021 , 02:25 PM

(January 7, 2021) – A forensic pathologist blamed the medico-legal procedures for the many unresolved questions surrounding the controversial death of flight attendant Christine Dacera.

In an interview with One PH’s Wag Po on Wednesday, Dr. Raquel Fortun said based on the findings, Dacera’s cause of death still remains unclear, even though the initial autopsy report already showed she died because of ruptured aortic aneurysm.

The Philippine National Police (PNP), meanwhile, already concluded that Dacera was raped and then killed. PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas even insisted on his own assessment, saying all elements of rape were present.

“I am not too sold on the idea that their conclusion is sound, that it was a ruptured thoracic aneurysm. The way it was described, clinically hindi consistent with the circumstances,” said Fortun, who is one of only two forensic pathologists in the country.

Dacera was found unconscious in the bathtub of her hotel room in Makati where she had a party with friends to celebrate New Year’s Day. Initial reports said friends and hotel personnel tried to revive the 23-year-old flight attendant before she was rushed to the hospital where she was declared dead.

The initial autopsy report showed that Dacera had several contusions in her body.

Makati PNP chief Col. Harold Depositar, who heads the investigation, said traces of semen were also found, pointing to this as proof of sexual assault. It is not clear if this was included in the findings.

But Fortun said the sexual assault angle in Dacera’s case was “not convincing” given the “nature, location, distribution, and number of non-specific” contusions.

She explained that the contusions found on Dacera’s knees, front thighs, and ankles were “very common” and the possibility should be considered that she sustained them even before she was found unresponsive.

“Kung nag-iisip ka ng sexual assault, halimbawa, classic is fingertip contusions, multiple. Isang classic na location is ‘yung inner thighs. At some point, may attempt to open in the legs, lalo pa kung may resistance and so on,” said Fortun, who has handled big cases like the Ozone Disco fire, the Bubby Dacer-Alex Corbito double murder, and the Maguindanao Massacre just to name a few.

Fortun said a toxicology examination would have greatly contributed to solving the case.

“Toxicology sana ang makakatulong kasi nag-iinuman e, and that can kill you. You may take it for granted but there are people who die of acute intoxication,” said Fortun, who has also repeatedly lamented the lack of science-driven investigations in the Philippines.

But she decried a limiting factor in the initial autopsy procedures, which also makes doing a toxicology examination near impossible. The report said outright that by the time Dacera’s body was examined, it was already embalmed.

“Ang laking factor ‘yun kasi kung embalmed na, nag-inject ka na ng chemicals, paano mo pa magagawaan ng toxicologic analysis?” said Fortun. “The fact na maraming tanong, mukhang hindi (sinunod ang proseso) kasi kung maayos ang proseso, klaro sana.”

Dacera’s family sought an individual autopsy, hoping to prove that the victim did not die of natural causes. But Fortun said follow-up autopsies wouldn’t have been necessary “if the first was done right.”

(Cherry Salazar/PM)

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