NBI: 2 of 5 concert fatalities died of massive heart attack

TWO of the victims that attended the Closeup Forever Summer Concert during the weekend died of massive heart attack, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said yesterday.

NBI has conducted an autopsy on two of the five victims — Lance Garcia, 36, and Bianca Fontejon, 18.

NBI Chemical Forensics Division Executive Officer Felicisima Francisco said Garcia and Fontejon suffered extreme high blood pressure that caused heart ruptures.

She added that they are still completing their examination on submitted specimens to determine if the victims had taken illegal drugs, noting that there are indications in the victims’ blood.

Reelected partylist group Kabataan yesterday asked the House of Representatives to launch an investigation into the deaths of five people, including an American national, after they collapsed during the concert party.

Kabataan Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon filed House Resolution No. 2704 asking the House Committees on Dangerous Drugs and Youth and Sports to jointly conduct an investigation into the allegedly drug-related deaths of Garcia, Fontejon, Ariel Leal, Ken Migawa and Eric Miller.

Ridon quoted reports saying that the drinks distributed during the party were laced with “Green Amore”— a mix of ecstasy and shabu.

“There are questions that investigators need to answer: If dangerous drugs were indeed available in the party venue, how were they able to slip in such substances? Are the concessionaires inside the venue involved? Clearly, the ‘stringent security measures’ or ‘precautions’ did not deter the proliferation of said dangerous substances. And surely what had transpired in the concert is not an isolated case,” Ridon said in a statement.

The Philippine National Police yesterday said it cannot conclude that the deaths of five individuals were drug-related until the results of the toxicology tests on the victims are released.