Respondents' lawyer in Dacera case asks bounty on clients' heads recalled

The lawyer of some of those implicated in the death of flight attendant Christine Dacera appealed to some lawmakers to recall the monetary reward they are offering for his clients' arrest. 

In a television interview Friday, Attorney Mike Santiago said the bounty has affected the security of the respondents. He noted that the reward for the arrest of his clients is no longer needed as they are willing to cooperate for the resolution of the case.

"That's why we are actually appealing to Congressman Yap and to Senator Pacquiao to recall the bounty being offered because this affects the safety and security of these gentlemen, these guys here..." Santiago told ANC.

"Considering nga may mga sumusunod sa kanila, may mga nagvi-video sa labas ng bahay nila. So, we are appealing to them na i-recall po 'yung bounty talaga. There's no need na for the bounty because there's already a case, a complaint by the Prosecutor of Makati na we are willing naman, 'yung mga kliyente namin na harapin at sagutin po ang reklamo na ito," he added.

In the same interview, Clark Rapinan, one of the respondents, claimed that someone was following him and his family, and that someone was taking video when they left their house.

"Sa akin po kahapon lang po nangyari, sobrang hirap po, sobrang nakakatakot and also sobrang hirap makita 'yung parents mo na nahihirapan kasi kahapon noong umalis kami ng bahay, mayroong sumunod sa amin, may nagvivideo nang sinakyan naming kotse," Rapinan recalled.

"'Yung mother ko alalang-alala, ang hirap makita silang ganoon na nahihirapan... nakakatakot... sobrang hirap..." he added.

Senator Manny Pacquiao has offered P500,000 reward for the arrest of the respondents while  ACT-CIS party-list Representative Eric Yap has offered P100.000.

The Makati City Prosecutor's Office has ordered further investigation on the incident, saying that the pieces of evidence that the police initially submitted were insufficient to prove that Dacera was really raped before she died.

A court resolution resulted in the release of three respondents who were earlier arrested by the police. —LBG, GMA News