Two of the fatalities in the controversial Pasay City mall concert died of multiple organ failure due to the fatal combination of illegal drugs and alcohol, the police toxicology report disclosed yesterday.
And based on the same toxicology report, Chief Supt. Emmanuel Aranas, head of the Philippine National Police-Crime Laboratory, said victims Eric Miller and Kenimichi Miyagawa may have taken different drugs as revealed by the specific chemicals traced in their organs.
“Chemists have different findings on the two. Maybe they took different drugs,” said Aranas.
While some chemicals traced on the victims’ organs are common contents of the popular party drugs Ecstasy, Aranas said they also found some chemicals that may indicate that the two victims took a combination of illegal drugs.
Aranas explained that chemical contents of the illegal drugs traced on the organs of the victims are already dangerous as they target the heart and brain of the person.
For instance, the chemical methylenedioxyamphetamine (or MDMA) which is traceable to Ecstasy, speeds up the heartbeat which eventually affects the sequence and rhythm of the blood and oxygen distribution to the brain and other organs.
“And due to the abnormal heartbeat that caused damage to the brains, other organs have also malfunctioned. And this lead to lost of consciousness, stupor and comatose,” said Aranas.
Aranas said that when Miller and Miyagawa were found unconscious, they were probably already on stupor and comatose stage. The two were eventually declared dead in the hospital.
FROM THE HEART
“The cause of death was drugs. Further, a bottle of liquor was recovered there and this confirms that they also took alcohol. Drugs if taken with alcohol will have worse effects,” said Aranas.
Aranas explained that it was the heart which suffered the adverse impact of the combination of alcohol and illegal drugs. And this resulted in the damage to other organs.
The findings also revealed that the brain swelled more than the normal. Aranas said they also found damaged muscles in the heart, swelling of the lungs and damage of kidney tissues.
DRUGS USE HISTORY
Asked if there was a chance that they were saved if taken to the hospital earlier, Aranas said it all depended on the effects of the drugs to the victims.
But one thing is sure, according to Aranas: and that is the damage of the illegal drugs to organs is permanent.
In fact, Aranas said the examinations they conducted on the internal organs of the two victims indicate that both Miller and Miyagawa had a history of illegal drugs use before.
“Based on the findings, Ken had a fibrosis in the heart, or scar, old defects in the heart muscles. Most likely, he took the drugs but then his body overcame the effect,” said Aranas.
The same is true, according to Aranas, with Miller, an American citizen.
“This means that the two had previous heart problems. There is a possibility that this was caused by drugs. And knowing what happened, there is a possibility that they used drugs in the past,” said Aranas. (Aaron Recuenco)