Eleven men have been charged for the alleged rape and homicide of a Filipino flight attendant in Makati city, on New Year’s Day. Christine Angelica Dacera, 23, was found unconscious in the bathtub of her hotel room where she and some friends celebrated New Year’s Eve.
Friends and hotel staff rushed Dacera to a nearby hospital, where she was later pronounced dead, officials told a local newspaper.
Initially, the cause of her death appeared to be from an aortic aneurysm, but police say she had “lacerations on her arms and legs with obvious signs of sexual assault.”
Makati City police chief Col. Harold Depositar said that a “provisional charge of rape with homicide was filed Monday against 11 persons who were with Dacera, occupying two adjacent hotel rooms, at the time of her death.”
On Tuesday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) also explained that the rape-slay case was considered “closed” because the suspects had been identified.
“They already filed the inquest case. Indeed it is considered solved with at least three of the accused already put into custody by the police,” said Brigadier General Ildebrandi Usana.
However, the PNP chief General Debold Sinas issued an ultimatum against the other eight suspects, “to surrender in 72 hours or be hunted down.” All eleven men have been provisionally charged, but no warrant has been issued as the complaint has not reached court.
The Commission on Human Rights will conduct its own investigation into the death of a 23-year-old flight attendant during a New Year’s Day party in a hotel in Makati City, which police authorities declared as a “solved” case. | @dexcabalzaINQ @krixiasINQ https://t.co/y4zrgWhPVu
— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) January 5, 2021
Dacera last spoke to her mother on December 31, and said that she was going to a party with her friends. The flight attendant’s mother has appealed for president Rodrigo Duterte’s intervention in getting justice for her daughter, saying “she did not deserve what they did to her, my daughter is a very good girl.”
Support for the flight attendant has been pouring in on social media since the weekend. People have been using the hashtag #JusticeforChristineDacera discussing the issue of consent, victimization and violence against women.
There should be no shame on the side of the victim. Just because she got drunk, doesn’t mean she’s invited those inhumane predators!
This is no time to try to attenuate the issue, because this is also the threat to many girls. #JusticeForChristineDacera#ProtectDrunkGirls pic.twitter.com/1Gk7DZeMS3
— Mx. ALBIE(@mx_albie) January 4, 2021
