THE controversial death of Ashley Abad, the 19-year-old girl who died because of an overdose of a party drug, has found a new twist. This, after no less than President Duterte revealed the new development during a speech in Malacañang the other day. The President said that Ashley herself was the source of the party drug that caused her death. The chief executive must have based his revelation on the “forensic findings” in the cellular phone of Ashley.
The President said Ashley texted a friend and said that they were going to share the party drug because the one tablet was reserved for her boyfriend, Nel Spencer Tiu, who earlier denied he supplied the ecstasy that Ashley took. The President said he wanted to cry with the parents and show sympathy to the bereaved family of the girl but these were the initial findings.
Well, I don’t want to question the revelation of the chief executive because he must have a reliable source. But this new twist is adding insult to the bereaved family. Or is this a case of truth hurting? It is just unfortunate that Ashley can no longer defend herself.
The parents of Ashley personally met with the President in Malacañang last week and asked the President to intervene as they wanted to know the circumstances surrounding the girl’s death and demanded justice by punishing the culprit or culprits. Duterte, maybe carried away by his emotions being also a father, ordered the arrest of Tiu sans filing of formal criminal charges. But now the President is “singing” a different tune. Hapit na lang mo-ingon si Duterte nga “mirisi.” The Abads refused to comment on the latest development, saying, they still had to consult their lawyer.
The police said the revelation of the President had no “bearing” on the possible charges they would file against those responsible for Ashley’s death. I don’t know if Tiu will be included as a possible suspect. But Tiu can use the statement of the President to his defense because the chief executive cleared him.
But how do we interpret the President’s statement when he said that Ashley herself was the “source” of the party drug? Did he mean that Ashley was the one who distributed the drugs to her peers and to her boyfriend? Was she the “pusher” that night or did somebody just give the ecstasy so they would enjoy the concert to the max?
Unlike shabu, ecstasy is hard to procure because it’s an imported tablet and it costs between P1,500 and P3,000 per tablet. One has to order it. Did Tiu know that Ashley had the stock? Why did Ashley reserve one for him? Is he also a known party drug user? If he was not into it, why did he not confront Ashley when he learned that she was in possession of ecstasy?
When Ashley collapsed, where was he? Did he help his girlfriend and was he one of those who brought her to the hospital? Was he at Ashley’s side when she went into a coma and died the following day? Did he cry? Did he visit Ashley’s wake? Did he attend his girlfriend’s burial? Did he immediately coordinate with Ashley’s parents and revealed everything he knew about his girlfriend’s death? Why did it take him a month to surface and give his version in a “motherhood denial” that he did not supply the party drugs? These are nagging questions that Tiu should answer. Mahulog man ni sa akong paboritong kanta nga “Bakit ngayon ka lang.”
Maybe Tiu and his parents are now laughing because they feel vindicated with the revelation of the President. Their lawyer, Orlando Salatandre, appealed to Tiu’s critics not to condemn and judge him because he was innocent and had no direct participation in Ashley’s death. Well, maybe he could escape criminal prosecution because it was not him who acted as the “drug pusher.” But what about his conscience? Makatulog kaha siyang maghayang nga dili kanunay’ng hasulon sa iyang tanlag?