Child dies from poisoning; siblings land in hospital

CEBU, Philippines – A six-year-old girl died while her two siblings, ages nine and two, landed in the hospital after they were believed to have been poisoned by the cassava, locally known as “kamoteng kahoy,” they ate for dinner Tuesday night.

The three are residents of Barangay Balaygtiki in the western town of Dumanjug.

PO1 Vilma Caballero identified the casualty as Noven Pasuquin Monteza. The girl’s siblings, Marilyn and Dexter, are confined at the Cebu Provincial Hospital in Carcar City and, as of yesterday, were declared out of danger.

They were brought to the hospital after complaining of severe stomachache.

Caballero said the victims’ family had dinner at past 9 p.m. Tuesday. Shortly after, Noven started experiencing stomachache that persisted through dawn Wednesday. At 4 a.m., the child became very weak and froth was coming out of her mouth.

It was reportedly difficult to ask for help because the family lives at a secluded area in a mountain barangay and their neighbors live far from them.

Noven had already passed away when investigators arrived at around 7 a.m.

Perhaps it can be said that the two other children were lucky because they started experiencing pain when the police and their neighbors were already at their house.

They were brought first to the Barili District Hospital but were transferred to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City after doctors in Barili learned they were poisoned.

They were moved later to the Cebu Provincial Hospital in Carcar City, which is closer to Dumanjug. — /JMO (FREEMAN)