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 City Garden Grand Hotel, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. Dacera was a flight attendant for PAL Express who was based in Manila, Philippines.[1][2] She was declared "dead on arrival" at around 12:25 p.m. (PHT) after she was rushed to Makati Medical Center.[3] 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.[4][5][6][7] 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,[8] as well as all other cases filed against Dacera's mother, the lawyers of both parties, and the Philippine National Police medico-legal officer, respectively.[9] Dacera's death gained widespread media attention as a result of suspicious circumstances which appeared to contradict the findings of the Philippine National Police.[10]

Death of Christine Dacera
DateJanuary 1, 2021; 2 years ago
VenueCity Garden Grand Hotel
LocationMakati, Metro Manila, Philippines
Coordinates14.564683°N 121.029218°W / 14.564683; -121.029218
CauseAortic aneurysm[lower-alpha 1]
Participants12 (including Dacera)
DeathsChristine Dacera
Arrests3 (later released)
VerdictAll cases dismissed

Christine Dacera
In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Faba and the surname or paternal family name is Dacera.
Christine Dacera
Dacera posing inside a Philippine Airlines aircraft cabin.
Born
Christine Angelica Faba Dacera

(1997-04-13)April 13, 1997
General Santos, Philippines[11]
DiedJanuary 1, 2021(2021-01-01) (aged 23)
Makati, Philippines
Resting placeForest Lake Memorial Park, General Santos, Philippines
NationalityFilipino
Other namesLyca, Ica[12]
Alma materUniversity of the Philippines Mindanao (BA)
OccupationFlight attendant[13]

Christine Angelica Faba Dacera (Tagalog: [ˈkɾistɪn daˈsɛɾa]; April 13, 1997 – January 1, 2021) was a Filipina flight attendant for the Philippine Airlines subsidiary PAL Express.[1][2] The second of the four siblings,[14] she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in media arts from the University of the Philippines Mindanao in Davao City.[14] Although Dacera spent her youth in General Santos, Dacera was based in Manila due to career exigencies at PAL Express.[11]

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.[15]

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 incident took place. Two of Dacera's friends who appeared in the footage have since stated that they are gay, and "would not do any harm to her".[3] At roughly noon on January 1, Dacera's body was found in a bathtub in room 2207 of the City Garden Grand Hotel.[3] 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.[16]

The police initially reported her case as a "rape-slay"[17] but according to the autopsy report conducted by the coroner, Police Major Michael Nick Sarmiento, Dacera died from ruptured aortic aneurysm.[18] 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.[19] 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.[20][21][10] 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 within three days.[22] A second autopsy has since been conducted on Dacera's body, but the results remain confidential.[23]

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.[24] 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.[25] 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.[26]

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;[27][28] however, Dacera's family disputed the results.[29][30] In response, on January 29, Salvador Panelo chastised the Dacera camp, saying, "You don't go on a crusade for justice for a crime that hadn't even taken place, punishing innocent people along the way. That's wrong. My goodness!"[31]

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.[8] On February 7, 2022, all related cases against the respondents, Dacera's mother Sharon, the lawyers of both parties, and Philippine National Police medico-legal officer PMaj. Michael Nick Sarmiento, respectively, were dismissed.[9][32]

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.[33] The Department of Tourism subsequently revoked the hotel's permit to operate, suspended the hotel's accreditation for six months, and fined the hotel ₱10,000 on January 14.[34]

Reactions and aftermath

PAL Express expressed sympathy in a press release for the death of Dacera.[35] Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno said that the death penalty for heinous crimes, such as the presumed rape and murder, is not the solution, but nonetheless pressed for justice for Dacera and her family.[36] On January 6, Dacera's wake was first held privately in Pasay, and later in Camp Crame, Quezon City.[37][38] Her remains aboard a Philippine Airlines Airbus A330 operating as flight PR453, arrived in General Santos at 10:00 am on January 7.[23][39][40] Dacera was laid to rest in General Santos on January 10.[12]

Dacera's death sparked not only online calls for justice, but also condemnation both of what had been automatically assumed to be rape—based on the all-male composition of Dacera's group—and of victim blaming.[41][42] In response to netizens criticizing Dacera for the clothes she had worn that night and for her binge drinking,[19] on January 4, the hashtags #JusticeforChristineDacera, #StopVictimBlaming, #ProtectDrunkGirls, #MenAreTrash and #DeathPenalty trended on Twitter.[43][44][18] Several public figures and celebrities, including television personality Bianca Gonzales, singer Kakie Pangilinan,[45] and activist Francis Baraan, would apologize the next day for having spread inaccurate and misleading information regarding the case on Twitter on January 4.[lower-alpha 2][47][48]

One of the PNP's persons of interest, who had been forced out of the closet by the accusations and was subsequently disowned by his father,[49] retorted to #StopVictimBlaming by posting on one of his social-media accounts footage of Dacera's behavior toward him.[50] Some sexual assault survivors have decried the weaponization of not only Dacera's death, but also the sexual assault allegations made against her male friends for political leverage,[51] leaving intact a system that enables the mentality that sexual assault is wrong, but only if one is caught.[46] The case has been compared to the Vizconde and Chiong murder cases,[52] as well criticized for having been a diversionary tactic meant to distract the public from issues plaguing law-enforcement.[51] On March 25, complaints of "perjury, libel, cyber libel, slander, malicious prosecution, incriminating innocent persons, and intriguing against honor", as well as of "unlawful arrest, illegal detention, unjust vexation and grave coercion", were lodged against a number of the accusers.[53]

See also

Notes
  1. According to death certificate and medico-legal report; the Dacera family disputed this cause.
  2. According to the authorities, there was a possibility that Dacera had been raped.[18][46]

References
  1. "24 Oras Livestream: January 7, 2021 | Replay". GMA News. Retrieved January 11, 2021 – via YouTube. Note: Pause at 8:31 for her birth date.
  2. Hallare, Katrina (January 5, 2021). "PAL Express calls for 'truth, justice' on death of flight attendant Christine Dacera". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  3. "TIMELINE: The Christine Dacera case". cnn. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  4. "Dacera camp di kumbinsido sa police report na 'natural' ang pagkamatay ni Christine" [Dacera camp is not convinced by the police report that Christine's death was 'natural']. ABS-CBN News. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  5. "Sharon Dacera: 'Para sa akin, ni-rape po ang anak ko' | NXT". ABS-CBN News – via YouTube. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  6. Marquez, Consuelo (January 7, 2021). "New Year's Day tragedy: What really happened to Christine Dacera?". Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  7. "Christine Dacera: Police chief's removal ordered over 'botched' rape probe". BBC News. January 21, 2021.
  8. Torres-Tupas, Tetch (April 27, 2021). "Dacera case: Rape and homicide complaints vs 11 dismissed". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  9. Patag, Kristine Joy (February 7, 2022). "Prosecution junks all raps linked to Christine Dacera's death". Philstar.com. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  10. "Christine Dacera: Police chief's removal ordered over 'botched' rape probe". BBC News. January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  11. "Christine Dacera laid to rest in GenSan". www.pna.gov.ph. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  12. "Christine Dacera laid to rest in GenSan". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  13. Rey, Aika (January 5, 2021). "PAL Express calls for justice for flight attendant Christine Dacera". Rappler.
  14. Talabong, Rambo (January 6, 2021). "What we know so far: The death of Christine Dacera". Rappler. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  15. "CCTV footage captured Christine Dacera's last hours at hotel". GMA News. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  16. "Makati City police: Provisional charge of rape with homicide filed vs 11 men in flight attendant's death". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  17. "Christine Dacera nailibing na" [Christine Dacera has been buried]. ABS-CBN News (in Tagalog). Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  18. "#TrendingNOW: Ano ang tunay na ikinamatay ni Christine Dacera?" [#TrendingNOW: What is the true cause of death of Christine Dacera?]. Rappler (in Tagalog). Retrieved January 7, 2021 – via YouTube.
  19. "The Alleged 'Rape-Slay' Case of Christine Dacera: Everything We Know". Esquire Philippines. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2021. The Makati Police chief says that the cause of death could have been natural, however, there are other factors at play as the victim had lacerations on her thighs, contusions on her knees, and scratches on her body. Lacerations and sperm were also found in her genitalia. "There was sexual contact, based on medico-legal report," Depositar said.
  20. "After 'careless' handling of Christine Dacera's case, groups urge transparent investigation". Rappler. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  21. "Flight attendant's rape-killing: PNP says it's 'case closed' because suspects identified". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  22. "'Surrender or be hunted down,' Sinas warns suspects in Dacera rape-slay". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  23. "2nd autopsy on Christine Dacera finished but details confidential, says family friend". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  24. "PNP admits not getting enough evidence in Dacera death case". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  25. "Saksi: Bodily fluid na nakuha sa labi ni Christine Dacera, inaasahang makatutulong sa imbestigasyon". GMA News. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  26. "24 Oras: Mga personalidad mula sa Room 2207, tukoy na raw ng PNP". GMA News. Retrieved January 12, 2021. Tukoy na nila ang mga personalidad na nasa room 2207, ito yung kwartong ilang beses puntahan ni Dacera. Walong personalidad iyan batay sa salaysay mismo ng isang kasama noong gabi na 'yon. Mula sa CCTV ng hotel, at 7:43 am, nakunan ang nasa room 2207 habang papaalis ng hotel. At timestamp 7:41, unang sumakay sa elevator ang tatlong personalidad kasama ang isang hotel guest na hindi kasama sa ini-imbestigahan. Matagal nakabukas ang elevator at maya-maya'y papasok na ang ika-apat na person-of-interest. Sa kotse ito raw sumakay ang grupo na agad din daw umalis habang naiwan ang iba pa sa hotel.
  27. Ropero, Gillan; Batallones, Jeck (January 27, 2021). "Flight attendant Dacera died of natural causes, homicide ruled out— Jan. 11 PNP report". ABS-CBN News.
  28. "Dacera's death 'natural,' medico-legal report shows". Philstar.com. January 27, 2021.
  29. "Family questions PNP report saying Christine Dacera died of natural causes". GMA News. January 28, 2021.
  30. Talabong, Rambo (January 29, 2021). "After PNP rules out homicide, Dacera family wants DNA test on autopsy specimens". Rappler.
  31. Panelo y San Buenaventura, Salvador (January 29, 2021). Counterpoint by Secretary Salvador Panelo (in Filipino). San Juan: RTVM. Event occurs at 37 min 41 s.
  32. Buan, Lian (February 7, 2022). "DOJ junks all cases related to death of Christine Dacera". Rappler. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  33. Hallate, Katrina (January 5, 2021). "PAL Express calls for 'truth, justice' on death of flight attendant Christine Dacera". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
  34. "Makati hotel in Dacera case loses permit to operate". CNN Philippines. January 14, 2021.
  35. "PAL Express calls for 'truth, justice' on death of flight attendant Christine Dacera". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  36. "Death penalty is not a solution to crime— human rights lawyer". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  37. 24 Oras Livestream: January 7, 2021 | Replay. (12:37) Bumuhos ang emosyon ng mga kaanak at malalapit na kaibigan ni Dacera sa huling gabi ng kanyang lamay sa Pasay City. Pribado ang burol ni Christine sa hiling ng kanyang pamilya.
  38. "Last viewing of Christine Dacera's remains to take place in Camp Crame on family's request". GMA News. January 6, 2021.
  39. "Support pours in for flight attendant's kin in GenSan". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  40. 24 Oras Livestream: January 7, 2021 | Replay. (13:22) Pasado alas-3 ng umaga ng dumating sa Manila Cargo Terminal si Christine na nasa isang crate para sa kanyang last flight pauwi sa General Santos. Ang nanay ni Christine gusto raw munang tumutok sa burol ng anak sa GenSan. Babalik daw sila sa Maynila para personal na asikasuhin ng kaso. Pasado alas-10 ng umaga, dumating na si Christine sa kanyang hometown. Mahigpit ang nilatag na seguridad; walang makalapit sa pamilya dahil sa ipinapatupad na health protocol. Sa St. Peter's Chapel idineretso si Christine.
  41. Tan y de la Cruz, Michael David (January 27, 2021). "To Stand United, We Also Need to Watch Our Tongues". Outrage Magazine.
  42. "Death of flight attendant spurs calls against rape culture". Rappler. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  43. Hitosis, Jet (January 5, 2021). "Celebrities Condemn Rape Victim-Blaming, Seek Justice for Christine Dacera".
  44. Lu, Gillian Therese (January 11, 2021). "We Should Drop the "Men Are Trash" Narrative". Rappler.
  45. "#Hija Kakie Pangilinan Held Legally Liable for Spreading "Misinformation" on Dacera's Alleged Rape-Slay?". Bitag. January 8, 2021. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  46. Panaligan, Andrea (February 11, 2021). "Rethinking Our Response to Sexual Assault Allegations". Philippine Star.
  47. "Netizens, celebrities sorry for 'misinformation' on Dacera case". CNN Philippines. January 7, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  48. Hitosis, Jet (January 7, 2021). "Bianca Gonzalez, Frankie Pangilinan apologize for "rape" tweets about Christine Dacera case". PEP.ph. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  49. Siazon, Rachelle (May 24, 2021). "Valentine Rosales Devastated over Death of Taiwanese Father: "He Passed Away na Hindi Kami Nakapagkita."".
  50. Rosales, Valentine (January 6, 2021). "Ako ang hinalikan, excuse me". Facebook.
  51. "The Death of Christine Dacera Raises Questions on "Rape-Slay" Theory". Breaking Asia. January 10, 2021.
  52. "Christine Dacera Case: 'Ayan Na Naman ang Bobocops". Rappler. January 11, 2021.
  53. Bolledo, Jairo (March 25, 2021). "Dacera Mom, Others Face Libel and Multiple Complaints from Suspects". Rappler.
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