'Spoiled food' downs 103 performers

Over a hundred performers for the 12th ASEAN Summit gala night were rushed to the hospital early yesterday after complaining of stomach pains and vomiting.

Two former beauty queens, who also took part in the gala, Melanie Marquez and Gemma Cruz-Araneta, were also reported by the GMA news website to have been hospitalized for the same cause.

Authorities suspect that the cause was the lunch served to them last Saturday afternoon.

A total of 103 landed in various hospitals, but as of presstime, only six of them remain confined while the rest returned to their billeting areas and took part in the presentation.

Over 200 performers took part in the presentations at the gala dinner hosted by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo last night at the Shangri-La's Mactan Island Resort and Spa.

The packed lunch was provided by the organizers to the performers, but there was no confirmation yet as to the source of the food. The food did not come from Shangri-La's Mactan Island Resort and Spa.

The Department of Health through regional director and in-charge of the operation of the medical team for the Summit, Dr. Susana Madarieta said that per initial investigation, on Saturday evening, the performers have suffered abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting.

Dr. Arnel Rivera, officer-in-charge of DOH medical team stationed at Shangri-La said that the performers who stayed in different hotels started going to the hospital early morning yesterday.

The performers stayed at Victor Hotel, Hotel Cesario, and Villa Vista all in Lapu-Lapu City.

Rivera said that 60 were brought to Perpetual Succor Hospital, 23 in Cebu Doctors Hospital and 12 in Chong Hua Hospital all in Cebu City.

Rivera suspected that the food inside the pack was probably already starting to spoil when these were served to the performers.

But Madarieta said that they will not confirm yet the cause of the incident as their investigation is still ongoing.

"So far some of them were already discharged from the hospital and they are all in stable condition now. We made sure that they are being treated," Madarieta said.

She confirmed Marquez was not among those hospitalized.

DOH was the one who shouldered their hospital bills including their take home medicine.

It was also learned that the DOH has already issued clearance that the performers can perform after they were given medication.

ASEAN Summit spokesman Victoriano Lecaros said that the hospital expenses were shouldered by the government and that the Department of Health are addressing the needs of those affected by the poisoning. He said the National Organizing Committee has contingency funds made available for emergency cases.

As of yesterday, Lecaros could not categorically say what measures the NOC would undertake to determine the cause of the poisoning but assured that a probe on the matter would certainly be undertaken.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has not yet issued an official statement on the incident. - Gregg M. Rubio, Jasmin R. Uy and Joeberth M. Ocao