Christine Angelica Dacera, a 23-year-old flight attendant with the Philippine Airlines (PAL) subsidiary PAL Express, died on 1st January after a New Year’s Eve celebration with friends and colleagues. The police have arrested three men on provisional charges of rape and murder. The other eight suspects are at large.
On 5th January, GMA News, a Philippines-based news network reported screengrabs of CCTV footage showing the hours leading up to Dacera’s death. The footage allegedly showed Dacera with male friends in the hallway outside her hotel room.
One screenshot dated 31st December 2020, 11:38 pm, showed Dacera carrying her heels and a wine glass outside Room 2209 with two men beside her.
In another screengrab dated 1st January, 3:22 am, Dacera was seen conversing with three men. She was shoeless then. Another man was looking on at them from the doorway of a room. Seconds later, Dacera was seen talking to one man, while two other men were walking away. Three other men were looking on from the end of the hallway.
The Makati hotel has yet to release a statement on the incident. However, clips of the CCTV footage have made its way online. Check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVpqQLNtGck
Philippine National Police Chief Director Debold Sinas revealed that the suspects arrested are John Pascual Dela Serna III, 27; Rommel Daluro Galida, 29; and John Paul Reyes Halili, 25. According to news reports, Sinas also said that authorities are searching for the eight other men who were with Dacera at the hotel on the night before her death.
These are allegedly their names:
- Rommel Daluro Galido, 29: arrested on 4th January 2021
- John Reyes Dela Serna, 27: arrested on 4th January 2021
- John Paul Halili, 25: arrested on 4th January 2021
- Gregorio Angelo Rafael de Guzman: interviewed by Emil Sumangil on 5th January 2021
- Louie Sunga de Lima: at large
- Clark Jezreel Rapinan: at large
- Rey Mabini Englis, 25: at large
- Mark Anthony Sto. Domingo Rosales: at large
- Jammyr Cunanan: at large
- Valentine Rosales: at large
- Eduard Madrid: at large
“If you have nothing to hide, then for sure I would advise you to voluntarily surrender yourselves at the police station. In case you are scared to surrender by yourselves, you can bring your lawyers with you,” Manila Metro police chief Police Brigadier General Vicente Danao Jr. announced.
One of the suspects, Rey Englis, issued a statement on Facebook. In the post, Englis said “The truth will set us all free. I don’t need your apologies but when the time comes please offer it through prayers for Tin (Christine) and her family.” He also expressed how much he loves Christine in the post, claiming that she is like family.
We hope that the case will be closed soon so that Dacera’s family can receive closure and find peace.
Sources: Conan Daily, Rappler.
