NBI recovers bodily fluids from Dacera’s remains in 2nd autopsy

MANILA – Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Tuesday said forensics experts are hopeful that the recovered urine from the second autopsy conducted on the remains of flight attendant Christine Angelica Dacera would help uncover the circumstances behind her death.

“I was informed that the NBI was able to extract about 100 (milliliters) of urine from the subject’s body. It could provide a lot of information to the forensic team. The results of the laboratory examination may come out in a few days,” Guevarra said in a message to reporters.

Dacera, 23, was found dead in her hotel room in Makati City around noon on Jan. 1, after a private New Year’s Eve party with her friends.

The initial autopsy conducted by the Southern Police District’s Crime Laboratory Office on Dacera has ruled the cause of her death as “ruptured aortic aneurysm”.

The Makati City police and Philippine National Police chief, Gen. Debold Sinas earlier declared the case as a rape-slay.

In 2010, a study on post mortem toxicological urine screening in determining the cause of death was authored by experts from the Netherlands led by Manon Ceelan and Tina Dorn.

According to the study, collected urine samples of decedents were screened for the presence of 10 commonly used drugs by means of a rapid multidrug test.

Urine samples of 53 percent of the cases appeared to be positive for one or more compounds, including several cases that were revealed which were positive for toxicology screening without indications for use of these drugs at the scene of the death or from medical history.

The Makati City Prosecutor’s Office earlier ordered a further investigation of the case and the release of three detained suspects identified as John Pascual Dela Serna, Rommel Galido, and John Paul Halili due to insufficient evidence.

Police officers were also ordered to submit a DNA analysis report, toxicology/chemical analysis, and a histopathology examination report as additional pieces of evidence.

The hearing for the preliminary investigation of the Dacera case was set for Wednesday.

Dacera was laid to rest in her hometown in General Santos City on Sunday.