Ashley Abad died of ecstasy overdose, PNP confirms; Duterte orders filing of cases vs boyfriend

Ashley Abad, 19. |Contributed Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Law enforcers will file charges against the boyfriend of Ashley Abad, whether or not he will be showing up this time for some questioning to shed light on the death of the 19-year-old student.

This developed as police authorities in Cebu were notified by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Manila that, based from the substance mentioned in her death certificate, Ashley died of an overdose of ecstasy.

However, several findings of the autopsy, which was conducted by the crime laboratory of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Camp Crame, were made available to the police.

Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, director of Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), informed reporters here of the result of the autopsy as well as the directive from President Rodrigo Duterte that appropriate charges be lodged against Abad’s boyfriend.

“We have given (him) enough time. It’s being prepared by the CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group). Charges will be filed, whether he will comply with the upcoming subpoena. It’s the President himself who made these instructions,” said Sinas.

READ MORE: CCPO plans to subpoena Ashley Abad’s ‘uncooperative’ companions, boyfriend

Sinas confirmed that Abad’s parents have sought an audience with Mr. Duterte to help them find justice for their daughter’s death.

Ashley Abad, 19. /Contributed Photo

READ MORE: Duterte meets Ashley Abad’s parents

He said they have already secured the affidavits from the physicians who attended to Abad when the latter was rushed to the hospital after collapsing in a pre-Sinulog concert last January 19 at the Cebu Business Park.

“And our primary suspect now is the boyfriend. We will ask the subpoena power of the chief PNP (Philippine National Police director general Oscar Albayalde) para i-summon siya. If dili siya mu show up, after the subpoena, damputon namo siya,” Sinas said.

Sinas added that their office, together with investigators from the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), will be studying if they could file cases against Abad’s boyfriend, and five more individuals identified to have been with the victim during the concert.

READ MORE: PDEA plans to summon relatives, doctors of Ashley Abad

“We are also inviting ang iyahang (Abad and her boyfriend’s) kauban. We are also studying if we could file them cases of negligence resulting to homicide. We are now establishing the fact that if gidala dayun to siya (Abad) sa hospital, basin na rescue pa. And these are based on the opinions of the first (set of) doctors that responded to the incident,” he added.

Ecstasy overdose

Sinas said they received information from PDEA in Metro Manila that Ashley’s death was due to an overdose of ecstasy.

“Naa nay final results sa autopsy which will be forwarded to us next week. Pero naa nay findings, gihatag sa amoa in advance. It stated there that the cause of death was due to overdose of prohibited drugs. It’s in scientific terms but it’s ecstasy,” said Sinas.

Abad reportedly collapsed while attending the Plus63 Music and Arts Festival on the eve of the Sinulog Festival on January 19 and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital.

She died a day later. Rumors soon began circulating in social media that Abad collapsed after she ingested a recreational drug-laced drink and that it caused her death.  But it was never confirmed until now. /elb

READ MORE: Ashley Abad: The bright, bubbly girl who can sparkle no more