NINETEEN-year-old Ashley Abad died of an overdose, Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Debold Sinas said, citing the death certificate submitted by Abad’s father to them.
Abad collapsed during a concert in Cebu City Saturday night, Jan. 19.
Abad’s father had the incident recorded in the blotter at the Mabolo Police Station.
Investigators will summon Abad’s companions, including her boyfriend, who has been tagged as a person of interest, as he may have knowledge about the cause of her death.
Organizers of the event and those who were with Abad at the time will also be called for the inquiry.
The father also gave a copy of his daughter’s death certificate to the police’s crime laboratory.
The certificate did not state which type of drug caused Abad’s death.
Sinas said the doctor who examined Abad had no capability to determine the kind of drug Abad took during the event.
He said only a forensic doctor can identify the drug, and Abad’s body should undergo autopsy.
During an autopsy, a fluid sample will be taken from the intestines.
PRO 7 and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7 are coordinating with each other for the investigation.
Sinas said they need the expertise of PDEA 7 in identifying the drug.
Abad’s parents requested the police to identify the person who gave the drug to their daughter and the supplier.
Sinas said that since he assumed as PRO 7 director, ecstacy has already been widely distributed in Cebu.
He admitted that they have a hard time arresting suppliers of ecstasy and other party drugs because they only transact with those from wealthy families.
Transactions for party drugs often take place inside high-end bars, he added.
He said they have a list of suppliers of these party drugs and that they have submitted this list to the PDEA 7 for monitoring.
Meanwhile, a relative of Abad was shocked and saddened by the result of the investigation.
In an interview with TV Patrol Central Visayas on Wednesday, Jan. 23, Benny Abad lamented that his niece was not a drug user and that the latter was still a college student.
“She was not a drug user, not a drug dependent. That is why we are cooperating with the authorities now. Let them find the truth because we just want the truth to come out to seek justice for the family,” he said. (RTF, KAL)