Sinas tasks DIDM to see if Makati police committed lapses in probing Dacera death

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Debold Sinas has tasked the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) to determine if the Makati City police had lapses in investigating the death of flight attendant Christine Dacera.

At a press conference on Monday, Sinas said the DIDM has until January 13 to submit its recommendations and findings about the local police's initial probe on the case.

"I have directed the DIDM to conduct a separate inquiry and recommend to us not later than January 13 their findings on any liabilities of Makati police officers involved in the ongoing investigation of the Dacera case. So there is a separate investigation that is headed by the director of the DIDM," Sinas said.

Sinas said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group is the lead investigator on the case, with the supervision of National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) acting chief Police Brigadier General Vicente Danao.

Meanwhile, Danao said investigators continue to collate pieces of evidence on the case as well as statements from personalities who could shed light on the January 1 incident.

"As of now, we are still collating pieces of evidence, especially statements from the would-be key witnesses and we are still awaiting for the results from the forensic science being conducted by the Crime Lab," Danao said in the same media briefing.

"All of these would be properly 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 will be... all will be given by the fiscal," he added.

Dacera, 23, was found dead in a bathtub in a hotel room in Makati City on January 1. Her companions during the New Year's Eve celebration were implicated on her death, which resulted in the initial arrest of three individuals.

The grieving family of Dacera has insisted that the flight attendant was sexually-abused and drugged prior her death.

The Makati City Prosecutor's Office, however, ordered the release of John Pascual Dela Serna III, Rommel Galido and John Paul Halili as it stated that a further investigation is needed on the matter.

The city prosecutor said the pieces of evidence initially submitted by the police were insufficient in establishing that Dacera was sexually-abused. The evidence were also not enough to determine the real cause of Dacera's death, the city's prosecutor added.

Dacera was laid to rest on Sunday in General Santos City. —KBK, GMA News

Dacera was laid to rest on Sunday in General Santos City. —KBK, GMA News