Dacera friend denies foul play in flight attendant’s death

MANILA – A friend of the deceased flight attendant Christine Angelica Dacera who was among those charged over her death refuted allegations of foul play behind the incident.

“There are insinuations that there were “party drugs” used together with alcohol during the evening of 31 December 2020. I vehemently deny these allegations. While I admit drinking with my friends and celebrating New Year’s Eve, I never used any illegal drugs. I likewise did not see or hear of anyone using drugs that night,” said Reymar Englis in his counter-affidavit submitted before the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday.

Englis attached two drug test reports in his counter-affidavit — one from a private laboratory and one from the East Avenue Medical Center.

“For the record, I tested “negative” for methamphetamine, tetrahydrocannabinol, morphine, cocaine, and ecstasy. Had I used any of the aforementioned illegal drugs on 31 December 2020 or 1 January 2021, I would have tested positive,” he said.

Parties in the case had been given until February 11 to file a reply.

Englis said he belongs to an online chat group “Tipsy” named after the group’s favorite hangout. Most of the group are flight attendants (FA) from different airlines. Except for Dacera, the members are gay males.

He added that he met Dacera through a common friend, Rommel Galido. He said the three of them became very close friends.

“We also referred to ourselves as “orphans” because we come from the province or “probinsyano” and are away from our families,” he added.

Since most members of the group were in Manila last Christmas, Englis said they decided to have dinner together at City Garden Grand Hotel.

“We got a discount since we were friends with John Paul Halili who worked in the hotel,” he added.

To celebrate the New Year, the group decided to book a room at City Garden Grand Hotel. Halili facilitated the discounted booking.

The booking was made under Dacera’s name as shown on the hotel’s registration card.

Englis said he never suspected there was anything wrong with Dacera and that she only found out that she passed away when Galido called him at around 1 p.m. on New Year’s Day.