Friends of the late flight attendant Christine Dacera, who were tagged in her death, said Thursday they wanted to "restart" and move on with their lives after a police autopsy report showed that she died of natural causes.
Several men who were with Dacera at a New Year's Eve party were initially accused of rape with homicide after the 23-year-old was found lifeless in her hotel room bathtub the day after. The men, who said they were gay, denied the allegations.
"The truth is the damage has been done in our lives. The stigma, the notoriety, the articles are all over the net. Even my mom's legacy has been tainted. For now, all I'm focusing on is the day that we are proven innocent officially," Gigo de Guzman, son of singer Claire Dela Fuente, told ANC as he fought back tears.
"For now all we want is for this to be over. We want to move on from our lives, we want to restart because we don’t know where to start," he added.
Dacera died a "natural" death -- from a ruptured aorta or blood vessel -- according to a police crime lab report. The findings go against the argument of her family that there was foul play.
The family of Dacera said the report alone was insufficient to rule out foul play since investigators have yet to account for all persons in hotel room 2207, whose occupants partied jointly with Dacera's group, billeted in room 2209.
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A second autopsy report from the National Bureau of Investigation has yet to be released.
Clark Rapinan, another person of interest in the death of Dacera, lamented how their reputations were ruined because of the case.
"Sirang-sira na po ang reputation namin. Gusto na namin bumalik sa normal iyong buhay namin. May mga pamilya din po kami na sobrang naapektuhan lahat," he said. "Basically, buhay namin ay sobrang damaged."
Initial reports of Dacera's death sparked outrage in social media opening up conversations on women, drinking, and rape culture. As more details of the case were unraveled, the case triggered talk too on sexuality and whether it could be used as proof of guilt.
Those involved in the case--persons of interest, even Dacera's mother--became a target of vitriol online.
MORE ON DACERA CASE:
Do Gays Go Straight After a Few Drinks? Dacera Case Sparks Debate
Privacy in Christine Dacera Case Matters, Here's Why
Caught on CCTV: How 24/7 Cameras Can Help Deter, Solve Crime
