On September 18, 2021, the vibrant Philippine art scene was shaken by tragedy. Bree Jonson, a 30-year-old contemporary visual artist celebrated for her unique and imaginative work, was found unresponsive in a resort room in the surf town of La Union.

What initially circulated as a possible self-inflicted act quickly spiraled into a high-profile case filled with controversy, conflicting accounts, and allegations of special treatment.

Bree, born Brian Patricia Jonson Agunod, was a rising star. After finding her passion for music and arts in her hometown of Davao, she moved to Manila and quickly made a name for herself, with sold-out exhibits across Asia and Europe.

Her life seemed full of promise, both professionally and personally, as she was in a relationship with Julian Ongpin, an art gallery owner and the son of billionaire tycoon Roberto Ongpin.

The couple had traveled to La Union to scout locations for a new studio Bree planned to build. On the night of September 17, they partied with friends, described by witnesses as being happy and in love.

They were dropped off at the Flotsam and Jetsam Resort around 2:30 a.m., but CCTV footage from minutes later hinted at a different story, capturing what appeared to be a tense conversation between them.

Around 3:00 a.m., Julian Ongpin emerged from their room seeking help from the resort staff, claiming Bree had taken her own life in the bathroom. Bree was rushed to a local clinic and then a larger hospital, but she was declared de@d on arrival. The tragic news sent shockwaves through the community, but the story was just beginning to unfold.

When police and Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) processed the room, they discovered 12.6 grams of cocaine. Julian Ongpin subsequently tested positive for drug use and was arrested. However, to the shock and outrage of the public, he was released from custody on the very same day, even as the investigation into Bree’s de@th was ongoing.

This move ignited accusations that Julian, the son of one of the Philippines’ wealthiest men, was receiving special treatment. The official explanation from prosecutors was that his arrest did not fall under the conditions for a valid warrantless arrest, and therefore was not “proper for inquest proceedings,” a legal technicality that allowed his release despite the significant quantity of drugs found.

Julian’s account of the night’s events only deepened the mystery. He claimed the scratches seen on his body were from forcing his way through a small bathroom window after Bree locked herself in. His story about how she had taken her life was inconsistent; first, he said she used her bra strap, later changing his story to a cat chain.

The official autopsy report from the Philippine National Police (PNP) cited asphyxia as the cause of de@th. They also reported traces of cocaine in her system but stated there were no signs of a struggle on her body.

This finding was immediately and vehemently disputed by Bree’s family and their legal counsel, who insisted that their own examination revealed clear signs of a struggle.

The family’s grief was compounded by frustration with the investigation. They fought for the Department of Justice to place Julian on a lookout bulletin to prevent him from leaving the country. Meanwhile, the drug possession case against him, which carried a non-bailable offense for possessing over 10 grams, continued to move forward, albeit slowly.

Then came the final, stunning blow. In November 2021, a La Union judge dismissed the drug case against Julian Ongpin entirely. The decision was not based on his innocence, but on what the judge described as a complete failure by the police to follow the proper chain of custody for the evidence.

The judge noted that the seized drugs were not immediately marked at the scene, the police searched the room without Julian or a proper witness present, and there was no inventory of the items found.

These were described as simple but critical procedural failures that rendered the evidence inadmissible in court. The SOCO team later claimed their primary goal was to investigate a suspected foul play, and the drug discovery was accidental, hence the protocol lapse.

With the dismissal of the case, Julian Ongpin’s name was removed from the travel lookout list, and he was a free man. Bree Jonson’s family was left devastated, their belief that foul play was involved now overshadowed by a case that had collapsed due to technicalities.

To this day, a final, comprehensive autopsy report from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has not been released to the public, and the family’s request for a DNA test of samples from under Bree’s fingernails remains pending. The de@th of a brilliant artist remains a tragedy shrouded in unanswered questions.