Doctors: Vet died of heart attack

CEBU, Philippines – Contrary to reports that he could have been murdered, the Philippine National Police medico legal report said that Talisay City veterinarian Galileo Larawan died of heart attack.

The autopsy report conducted by Drs. Nestor Satur and Jo Martin Flores, PNP medical legal officers, on the body showed that there was no foul play involved in the veterinarian's death, and that he died of a heart attack.

Larawan's sister-in-law Eve quoted the doctors saying that Larawan could have had an attack while he was stooping down to put on his underwear.

The 53-year-old Larawan was found in his room Thursday morning with his underwear down, and his nose smeared by dried blood.

Eve said the blood could have oozed from his system while he was suffering the attack.

Although it was his first attack, Eve said Larawan had a history of high blood pressure.

On Tuesday afternoon, he went home early from work as he was not feeling well at that time. Eve said last week, at a family gathering, Larawan was indulging in lechon baboy, despite his 220/160 blood pressure. It was the last time she met him.

Larawan was supposed to attend his nephew's party last Sunday in barangay Poblacion, but he did not show up, said Eve. He was living alone in his house in sitio Lagtang, where he was found dead inside his room.

Because he was found two days after his death, his body was already in a state of decomposition, but the putrefaction was delayed because the room had air-conditioning.

Earlier, reports had it that the city vet could have been murdered as there was also a slight hematoma in Larawan's body, but PNP doctors said it was normal for a person to have it after suffering from a heart attack, which also causes clotting of blood in the veins.

Larawan's remains are now in the family's ancestral home in barangay Lagtang. (FREEMAN)