A suspect in the death of hostess Christine Dacera said that he and 10 other suspected men were gay and had no reason to rape her.

Christine Dacera, a 23-year-old Filipino Airlines (PAL) hostess, died on January 1 after being found unconscious in the bathtub of a hotel room in Makati City, where she picked up New Year's Eve with her friends.

Gregorio de Guzman, one of the 11 suspects, denied the allegation that they raped Dacera.

De Guzman dismissed the Makati sheriff's comment that "gay people are still men, especially if they get drunk".

Police arrested three suspects aged 25 to 29 but released them on January 6.

An autopsy report from the police forensic department said that Dacera died of "ruptured aortic aneurysm" but there was no evidence that rape was the cause.

The Dacera family is requesting a second autopsy, saying that the first autopsy is not complete.

Dacera was born and raised in General Santos City, graduated from the University of Communication Studies in Davao City in 2017. In May 2019, Dacera started working as a PAL flight attendant, with his last trip to work.