Family and friends of Ashley Abad, dressed in white, attend the Requiem Mass at the Sacred Heart Parish along D. Jakosalem St. Cebu City last January 27, 2019, before she was laid to rest in Mandaue City. CDNDigital | file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The central office of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is planning to summon the doctors, and several relatives of Ashley Abad who were with her in the hospital after she collapsed during a pre-Sinulog concert last January 19, 2019.
PDEA director general Aaron Aquino, in a tele-radio interview with news anchor Ted Failon over dzMM that was uploaded last January 30, said they want to verify reports that Abad’s boyfriend allegedly gave her the party drug ecstasy shortly before she collapsed.
READ MORE: Ashley Abad: The bright, bubbly girl who can sparkle no more
“Allegedly, narining nang kapatid ni Ashley, at isang kamag-anak nung nandoon sila sa hospital na yung boyfriend sinabi sa doctor na binigyan niya raw nang ecstasy si Ashley. Titingnan din natin yun,” Aquino told Failon.
“At doon, kukuhanin natin nang affidavit yung kamag-anak at doctor. Hopefully makuhanan natin nang affidavit nung doctor na nagdiagnose kay Ashley para magbigay linaw sa ano talaga nangyari,” he added.
Aquino also said they are now waiting for the full results of Abad’s autopsy. However, he added that they are having a hard time getting information from the victim’s companions, including her boyfriend.
READ MORE: PDEA-7 to probe if party drugs caused student’s death in Cebu
“Kukuhanan lahat sana nang affidavit pero nahirapan kami sa mga kasama and boyfriend ni Ashley. Hindi nagsho-show pag sinusummon sila. Mismong boyfriend hindi namin alam kung nagtatago siya or wala kasi hindi pa rin namin nakuhanan nang affidavit,” added Aquino.
Sought for their comments, Cebu Daily News Digital contacted PDEA in Central Visayas but their information officer, Leia Albiar, said their department cannot issue a statement as of the moment.
“The investigation is still ongoing with the PNP (Philippine National Police), this is why we cannot issue any statement as of now. We don’t want to disrupt the progress of the ongoing investigation, and until we can have the conclusive results of the autopsy,” said Albiar in a text message sent to CDN Digital today.
READ MORE: CCPO plans to subpoena Ashley Abad’s ‘uncooperative’ companions, boyfriend
On Friday (February 7), the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) announced that they are now eyeing to issue subpoenas for Abad’s boyfriend as well as her other companions during the Plus63 Music and Arts Festival held at Cebu Business Park last January 19. /bjo