6 downed by grilled fish

Six people were taken to the hospital after reportedly feasting on grilled fish in a get-together early yesterday in Caloocan City.

SPO1 Dicoroso Domingo, investigation chief of Sub-station 5, identified the victims as Federico, of legal age and native of Bicol; Fred, 23; Freddie, 25; Elizabeth, of legal age; and Rossel, 19, all surnamed Barles and natives of Iloilo and Lolita Argonza, a native of La Union.

Police, however, failed to establish the relation of each of the victims to one another.

Probers said the victims fell ill one after the other after ingesting grilled "tamban," a fish that has since replaced "galunggong" (scad) as the poor man’s fish.

Tamban retails for P10 to P20 per kilo in the markets even as galunggong prices have risen to an astronomical P90 to P100 per kilo for the freshest catch.

The STAR found difficulty in verifying the police report in the absence of adequate communication facilities at the sub-station in the far-flung District 1 (Bukid Area).

The police sub-station could neither be reached by radio nor by telephone because it has none of either, officials of a police precinct near the subdivision who requested anonymity, told The STAR.

Reports are transmitted to the Caloocan tactical operations center (radio room) via fax and other facilities of private establishments.

Police recorded their common address as 144 Camias street, Amparo Subdivision, Barangay 179, Caloocan City.

Records showed that at around 1 a.m. yesterday in the said address, Federico started complaining of severe stomach pains and vomitting prompting his relatives to rush him to the East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC).

Some three hours later, Fred and Lolita were also taken to the Quezon City General Hospital and later transferred to the EAMC.

The others were later confined in the same hospital complaining of the same symptoms.

Hospital authorities are yet to determine the real cause of the victims’ downing, initially tagged as poisoning.