The immediate public vilification of the attendees created a severe human rights issue. Several young men present that night were openly gay, a fact that friends repeatedly stated precluded the speculative rape-conspiracy circulating online. Prominent among them was Gigo de Guzman, the son of veteran singer Claire dela Fuente, who stepped forward in televised interviews to describe the psychological wreckage caused by unvetted police declarations.
De Guzman publicly explained that the false accusations devastated their reputations, cost several members their corporate jobs, and subjected their families to endless online death threats. The suspects cooperated fully with state investigators, turning over their mobile phones and clothing for forensic testing. Their testimony proved consistent: Dacera had been a beloved companion whose physical decline was mistaken for ordinary intoxication until it was too late to save her. The premature public release of their names and photos by local law enforcement stood as a stark case study in the dangers of institutional trial-by-press.
