THE OPEN-AIR concert featured international DJs and drew an estimated 14,000 party-goers at a Pasay City mall. KARL ANGELICA OCAMPO
The Philippine National Police on Monday said it cannot conclude that the deaths of five individuals at a concert in Pasay City over the weekend were drug-related until the results of the toxicology tests on the victims are released.
鈥淭he PNP always bases its pronouncements on facts鈥� It鈥檚 better to wait for the toxicology results before we assume something on the situation,鈥� Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor said in a press briefing at Camp Crame.
READ: Drugs? Dehydration? Probe of Pasay concert deaths on
This amid speculation that drug ingestion and overdose caused the death of five party-goers during and after the Close Up Forever Summer Concert at the SM Mall of Asia grounds late Saturday.
The fatalities included Ariel Leal, 22; Lance Garcia, 36; Bianca Fontejon, 18; Ken Migawa, 18, and American national Eric Anthony Miller, 33. Authorities found that Garcia and Fontejon suffered from massive heart attack.
READ: 5 dead at Pasay City concert
The chief of the Pasay City police was also tightlipped on the details of the incident. 鈥淲e鈥檙e still waiting for the result of the toxicology tests. Our investigation is ongoing,鈥� Senior Supt. Joel Doria told the media.
Mayor declined to conclude that 鈥減arty drugs鈥� were indeed sold during the event, which was attended by at least 14,000 people.
鈥淚t would be unfair to the event organizer if we will accuse them of doing that. Until we鈥檝e found out the toxicology result and we know who鈥檚 liable, we can鈥檛 associate the use of drugs in the incident,鈥� he said.
READ: Probe of Pasay concert deaths starts
Hands tied听
The PNP also admitted that its hands are tied in the investigation since the organizers and the Pasay Police, before the event, have agreed that the police鈥檚 role is limited to providing security outside the perimeter of the event.
鈥淚n most events, the police鈥檚 role is merely on the peace and order aspect only. Kung may nanggulo, doon kami reresponde (Wherever there鈥檚 a disturbance, we鈥檒l respond there),鈥� he said.
This was because the police鈥檚 presumption in every concert is that the event would be 鈥渨holesome鈥� as what the organizers assured them, said Mayor.
Why refuse investigation?
听
Chief Insp. Rolando Baula, head of the Pasay Police Station Investigation and Detective Management Branch (SIDMB), earlier said Leal鈥檚 family submitted a waiver asking the police not to investigate the death of Leal.
Asked to comment, Mayor said: 鈥淭he question is, bakit ayaw (why don鈥檛 they want an investigation)? If they want to get to the bottom of the incident, why don鈥檛 they let us investigate?鈥�
鈥淏ut what we can do now is to check the circumstances of the death of other victims,鈥� he said.
Baula, in an interview with Radyo Inquirer 990 AM, said he hopes that the toxicology results will be released within the week.听JE/rga