Palabok downs 350 at governor’s party

STO. TOMAS, Batangas — More than 350 people were hospitalized after eating pancit palabok leftovers from the victory party of incoming Batangas Gov. Armand Sanchez last week, health officials said.

Even the governor’s wife, newly elected Sto. Tomas Mayor Edna Sanchez was not spared from the food poisoning. She was treated with "rehydration," or the replenishment of bodily fluids, at a hospital for stomach pains and loose bowel movement.

Dr. Gloria Andaya, Sto. Tomas municipal health officer, told The STAR that the victims were mostly relatives of the employees of this town’s municipal hall who attended the party last Thursday and brought home excess food.

"We had 15 bilao (winnowing basket) of pancit palabok prepared but only seven were consumed," Andaya said.

The remaining eight bilao were divided among the guests as "take-home" food.

Of the 359 victims of food poisoning, 20 were admitted to various hospitals after suffering from severe case of gastroenteritis, Andaya said.

The rest were out-patients who were given "rehydration."

"Most of the people rushed to hospitals were suffering from abdominal pains, vomiting, fever and loose bowel movement," Andaya said.

The victims were rushed to the Sto. Tomas General Hospital, Cabrini Hospital and St. Vincent in Sto. Tomas. Others were treated at the CP Reyes Hospital and Mercado Hospital in Tanauan City.

Andaya said the husband of a municipal employee had offered his services to cook the pancit palabok, but denied ser—ving contaminated food.

"We thought the mussels (tahong) in the palabok was contaminated with red tide but the one who cooked it said they did not suffer from any stomach pain when they had eaten the mussels)," an employee explained in Tagalog.

Health officials were investigating the specific ingredients in the pancit palabok that caused the food poisoning.