Two more Pasay concert victims found positive for illegal drugs

Photo Courtesy: CNN News

Metro Manila — Two more victims of a tragic concert in Pasay City were found positive for taking lethal party drugs, based on the additional findings from the crime laboratory exam of the Philippine National Police (PNP) released on Tuesday.

These victims were Ken Migawa, 18 years old, and U.S. Citizen Eric Miller, 33 years old.
Miller's remains revealed traces of toxic chemicals paramethoxy-amphetamine or PMA and methylene-dioxy-amphetamine or MDA.

The police discovered the same substances in Migawa's body, but with another chemical called methylene-dioxy-cathinone or MDC.

Emmanuel Aranas, chief of the PNP Crime Laboratory, said PMA was an ingredient in an ecstasy drug called "pink tablet" — the same type of drug confiscated by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents from suspected drug manufacturers and alleged drug peddler Joshua Habalo.

Unlike other victims, Migawa and Miller were drunk before ingesting the deadly drugs.
Based on the toxicology exam results, the blood alcohol concentration of Migawa was at 0.162 mg/ml, while Miller's was at 0.138 mg/ml. 

Aranas said these amounts of alcohol in the victims' blood might have worsened the lethal effect of party drugs and hastened their deaths.

"Kasi kung mayroon kang alcohol, mabilis 'yung pag-circulate noong chemical sa katawan," Aranas said.

[Translation: If there is alcohol intake, the circulation of chemical inside the body hastens.]
Autopsy reports showed Migawa and Miller died of multiple organ failure. According to Aranas, the most significant damage was detected in their brains and hearts.

"Ang mga significant na nakita nila ay ang pamamaga ng kanilang utak; nagkaroon ng damage sa mga muscles ng heart," he said.

[Translation: The inflammation of their brains and the damage in the muscles of their hearts were seen as the most significant.] 

Three out of five victims are now confirmed positive for illegal drugs. Prior to this, the NBI found traces of dangerous chemicals in one of the victims.