By Claire Morales True and Beting Laygo Dolor, Managing Editor and Editor

LOS ANGELES/MANILA – Finally, after four months, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office has made public its official findings on the sudden death of Filipino businessman Juan Paolo Tantoco last March 8 in a hotel in Los Angeles.

In reports published in Los Angeles and Manila, the office was quoted as stating that Tantoco, 44, died from “cocaine effects.” Other published reports stated that it was “cocaine overdose.”

The publication of the Los Angeles report prompted Sen. Imee Marcos to challenge Malacanang to explain the role of the First Lady in Tantoco’s death.

Malacanang immediately denounced the report, stressing the First Lady had nothing to do with the businessman’s death, adding the report was “fake” or doctored and that possible charges maybe filed against those behind the “malicious” plot to link the First Lady to the Tantoco case.

Tantoco was part of the Philippine entourage led by First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos to the Manila International Film Festival which was held in Hollywood on March 4 to 7. Malacanang said later Tantoco was not part of the delegation. Tantoco’s wife, Dinah Arroyo Tantoco, social secretary at Malacanang, attended the event.

A copy of the public coroner’s report obtained from the LA County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office lists “cocaine effects” as the primary cause of death. It also noted “probable atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease” as a significant contributing condition.

The report classified the manner of death as “accident.”

Tantoco was found dead at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on March 8, 2025. The filmfest tribute gala was held at the hotel on March 7.

An investigator identified as Laura Araujo and Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Raffi Djabourian were assigned to the case, which remains tagged as “open” in the LA coroner’s database under case number 2025-04377.

For more case information, please call the Records unit number: 323-343-0695, the County Medical Examiner stated on its website.

Medical Examiner case information displayed or populated on this website is public record and is subject to disclosure by the California Public Records Act, it added.

Tantoco, who was executive of the Rustan’s chain of stores, is survived by his wife, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Deputy Social Secretary Dina Arroyo-Tantoco, and their three children. 

 As early as last March, Malacañang press officer Claire Castro denied rumors that the First Lady had been “held” in Los Angeles in connection with Tantoco’s death. 

Following the publication of the Los Angeles coroner’s report, First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos vehemently denied she had anything to do with Tantoco’s death, adding the report was “fake.”

Malacañang said it is contemplating filing legal charges against personalities spreading a “fake” US police report linking  the First Lady  to the death of,  Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said as reported by ABS-CBN and other Manila media.

Castro said the circulating Beverly Hills Police Department report on the death of Tantoco had been tampered to make it appear that the First Lady, Palace Deputy Social Secretary Dina Tantoco, and actress Alexa Miro, identified as “companions of the victim,” were supposedly summoned by the police for questioning over the incident.

“Nakakalungkot dahil yung mga pribadong tao na nagluluksa ay nadadamay sa pamumulitika. Ginagamit ng mga obstructionists para masira ang First Lady, ang Pangulo at ang administrasyon. Nakakahiya ang kanilang mga ginagawa,” Castro said.

“Ang sinasabing police report na nai-post sa Facebook ay isang malaking kasinungalingan,” the Palace official said. 

“Kahit kayo mismo ay maaaring mag-imbestiga sa nasabing lugar sa Beverly Hills Police Department para malaman ninyo na yung nilagay sa Facebook na may guhit na color pink, kung hindi ako nagkakamali, ang parteng yon ay dinagdag lamang. Nag-start ang mga salitang and I quote, ‘and the cause of the initially suspected drug overdose’ up to the word Miro, yan po ay dinagdag lamang,” she added.

Castro clarified that Tantoco was not part of the official entourage of the First Lady and that Araneta-Marcos was attending a formal event at the time of his death.

“Tandaan, ang unang ginang po, noong sya ay nasa LA ay meron po siyang security service na pinrovide ng US, meron din syang PSG. Hindi rin sya nag-stay sa nasabing hotel ni Mr. Tantoco. Iba po ang kanyang hotel. At meron syang mga activities March 8,” she said.

“March 8 makikita nyo po sa screen na merong konsyerto para sa Pilipino. Nakikita nyo sa larawan din, Secretary Cristina Frasco. March 8 yan ginanap, hapon hanggang gabi. Papaanong masasabi na ang mga obstructionists na ito, mga fake news peddlers na ito, ang patungkol sa nakita nilang tao doon sa vicinity.”

Castro later said the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles verified with American authorities the veracity of the police report on Rustan’s executive Paolo Tantoco’s death and found out that it was “altered.”

”Some of the terms used in the purported letter were not in line with the BHPD’s (Beverly Hills Police Department) standard language and protocol. BHPD would not include terms such as ‘expected to be drug overdose,’ ‘suspected to be cocaine,’ and ‘summoned to BHPD,”’ Castro said.

________________

Rustan’s scion died

of cocaine overdose after

partying with First Lady

By Beting Laygo Dolor, Editor

MANILA  –   The passing of Rustan’s scion Paolo Tantoco under mysterious circumstances while in the company of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos while vacationing in the US were finally revealed to the public over the weekend.

He died last March due to a cocaine overdose in a Los Angeles hotel room just 24 hours after he was part of the First Lady’s entourage attending several functions in Southern California.

His passing was revealed by the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office this week, with a deputy medical examiner saying that the cause of death was an accidental drug overdose.

Tantoco was 44. The president’s older sister, Senator Imee Marcos, said Malacanang should address the allegations linking the First Lady to the  death of Tantoco. She said the presidential palace should issue a “comprehensive report” on Tantoco’s death and any possible “direct or indirect” involvement of the First Lady.

Senator Marcos said there were troubling claims that the First Lady “may have personal knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Mr. Tantoco’s death.” The possibility was raised that the president’s wife may have been present “shortly before, during, or immediately after the incident.”

Presidential Communications Office undersecretary Claire Castro said it was shameful for the senator to exploit a private tragedy for political gain.

The senator said her sister-in-law should disclose her whereabouts at the time of the incident.

The US-born Tantoco was found unresponsive at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on March 8, 2025, the day after the Manila International Film Festival gala at the same venue.

Because of the nature of Tantoco’s passing, former Commission on Elections commissioner Rowena Guanzon called for the individuals who were with the First Lady to all take a hair follicle test to clear the air on suspicions that some or even all of them may be taking cocaine.

This would belie recurring rumors of the president and his wife being regular users of the dangerous drug.

(Note: The president’s former executive secretary Vic Rodriguez has long been calling for Mr. Marcos to take a hair follicle test to disprove allegations of his supposed drug use, but he has always refused.)

While Tantoco’s passing was immediately known in the country, no details were released at the time.

The Palace was able to enforce a news blackout, keeping all details of Tantoco’s passing under wraps.

Tantoco was the husband of Malacanang Deputy Social Secretary Dina Arroyo-Tantoco. They have three children.

More than this, the patriarch of the Tantoco family was a known crony of the late dictator and father of incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The Tantocos have been close associates of the Marcos family for decades, with the late ex-president even naming Bienvenido  Tantoco as Philippine ambassador to the Vatican.

He founded Rustan’s as a department store chain specializing in luxury brands.

Ambassador Tantoco and five of his bodyguards were charged with illegal possession of firearms and they served time in an Italian prison. His wife Gliceria was also jailed in New York on fraud charges.

Paolo Tantoco is their grandson.