Ashley Abad | Contributed photo
CITY, Philippines — A complaint of homicide was formally filed against Nel Spencer Tiu, the late Ashley Abad’s boyfriend, before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office on Saturday morning, February 23.
Jose Benjamin “Benny” Abad, the uncle of Ashley and the spokesperson of the Abad family, confirmed this to Cebu Daily News Digital.
“It was filed this morning before the prosecutor’s office,” Benny said in a phone interview.
Jose Benjamin and his brother, Jose Alfonso Abad, who is the father of Ashley, accompanied investigators of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) to formally lodge the complaint against Tiu.
He said they were hopeful that the case against Nel Spencer Tiu, who is in his early 20s, would be elevated to the trial courts.
“Yes (we are hopeful it will be elevated to the trial courts), because all our evidences are based on facts,” he said.
Read more: Cebu City Police now know who gave ecstasy to Ashley Abad
The family also released a statement to members of the media, encouraging Tiu and six others, who were reportedly with Ashley when she collapsed in a pre-Sinulog concert last January 19, to come out and tell the truth.
“As the wheels of justice start to grind, we express faith in our justice system that Nel Spencer Tiu and his cohorts will be made accountable for their actions and dare them not to hide behind the phony skirt of wealth and influence,” their statement said.
But in the event that they will do otherwise, Jose Benjamin said “that’s their problem.”
“Because then it will be the court who will issue the arrest order once our case will pass through the Prosecutor’s Office,” Jose Benjamin added.
Read more: Ashley Abad: The bright, bubbly girl who can sparkle no more
Based on police reports, Ashley ingested ecstasy while attending the Plus63 Music and Arts Festival last January 19 at the Cebu Business Park.
Ashley collapsed during the event, but died a day after.
Police later on confirmed that the death of the 19-year-old college student was due to ecstasy overdose.
CDN Digital contacted the camp of Tiu for their comments, but there was no response yet as of press time.
In an earlier interview, however, Lawyer Orlando Salatandre, Tiu’s legal counsel, said that they were ready to face the charges that they would file against his client. /dbs