Sinas orders probe on police lapses in Dacera case

BY AARON RECUENCO

Gen. Debold Sinas, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), ordered Monday a thorough investigation on the possible lapses committed by the Makati City police in handling the case of flight attendant Christine Angelica Dacera.

“I have directed the director of the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (Maj. Gen Marni Marcos) to conduct a separate inquiry and recommend to us not later than January 13, their findings on any liability of the Makati City police officers involved on the ongoing investigation on the Dacera case,” said Sinas in a press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

The Makati City police is being accused of bungling the case of Dacera, its impact was felt when the Philippine National Police (PNP) was crucified in the social media over the allegations of rape with homicide.

Dacera was found dead in an empty bathtub of a Makati City hotel at noon on January 1, or after their New Year’s party.

Some of the alleged lapses being hurled at the PNP were allowing Dacera’s body to be embalmed before the cadaver was subjected to autopsy, the declaration that Dacera was raped and killed allegedly even without substantial pieces of evidence, and the filing of the case allegedly without strong pieces of evidence.

The Makati City Prosecutors Office ordered last week the release of the three suspects under the custody of the PNP for lack of sufficient evidence on the rape with homicide case that was filed, a decision which also denied the PNP the basis to run after the nine other people it tagged as suspects.

Sinas himself was criticized when he gave all the nine remaining suspects 72 hours to surrender, even as he insisted that Dacera was raped. But the investigation on the case of Dacera will continue, according to Sinas.

He said he already instructed the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to take the lead in the investigation of the case through the Special Investigation Task Group that the Chief PNP has ordered to be created.

“The CIDG now is the lead investigator on this case, but this will be supervised by the RD NCRPO (Regional Director, National Capital Region Police Office),” said Sinas.

For his part, NCRPO director Brig. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. said they are currently collating pieces of evidence, especially statements from key witnesses, with regard to the Dacera case.

“All of these will be probably submitted before the fiscal during the preliminary investigation. If we cannot beat the time on January 13, we will be asking the fiscal for an extension of time and up to what date, all will be given by the fiscal,” said Danao. (Aaron Recuenco)