There are seven still unidentified men who partied with 23-year-old flight attendant Christine Angelica “Aica” Dacera and her friends during New Year’s Eve at a hotel in Makati City, the victim’s best friend said.
Danna Rose Socaoco, 23, best friend of the victim, said they learned from Rommel Galido, who was with Aica in the party, that they partied with seven men who were in Room 2207.
Aica and her 11 friends stayed in Room 2209 which is adjacent with the room of the seven men.
“One of the people with Aica introduced them to the men na ‘bisexuals’ daw. Apparently, he knows them. So they mingled with her and other friends,” she said, quoting Galido.
The lawyers and the family friends of the Daceras are now identifying the seven men seen in the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the hotel, she said.
Danna said her boyfriend chatted with Aica before she died and told her that she was partying with her “gay” friends at a hotel, even joking that they are more “girly” than her.
Aica was told by one of the suspects that he saw one of their friends carrying a powdery substance believed to be illegal drugs.
“Aica told my boyfriend and I that one of her friends want her to try illegal drugs. We told her to stay away from him because he is a bad influence,” she told Manila Bulletin. “The guy was also there in the party.”
Those who recently surrendered to the police and underwent inquest proceedings in connection with the death of Aica on Monday night were John Pascual Dela Serna, Romel Galido, and John Paul Halili. Eight people with Aica in Room 2209 are still at large as of press time. The 11 men were charged with rape with homicide.
Halili, according to Socaocao, was the one who gave discount to Rooms 2209 and 2207 as he is the duty manager of City Garden Gran Hotel in Barangay Poblacion, Makati.
However, Halili told the family and friends of Aica that he does not know the seven men from Room 2207.
Mother’s grief
Sharon Rose Dacera, mother of Aica, strongly believes that the “barbaric death” of her daughter was premeditated.
“They planned this. They treated my daughter like a pig,” she said. “Surrender to the authorities and prove your innocence. If you are really not guilty, surrender.”
Aica, she said, was a very loving and sweet daughter who dreamt of touring her family around the world for free as a flight attendant.
Aica is a Cum Laude graduate of Communication Arts of University of the Philippines -Mindanao.
Sharon appealed to President Duterte and Davao City Mayor Sarah Duterte to help their family attain justice despite those involved coming from influential families.
“I am calling on President Duterte to help us attain justice even there are very powerful and influential people behind my daughter’s death,” she said.
“To Mayor Sarah, please help us, you are a woman and mother, too, yourself. I am begging you, help us.”
The mother of Aica said there are abrasions and bruises on the body of her daughter, saying that these clearly show what happened to her daughter.
She said that she last saw her daughter alive on March 14, 2020.