CEBU, Philippines — A six-year-old boy died after allegedly eating puffer fish or locally known as butete that the victim’s mother had cooked for the family at Sitio Song-on, Barangay Pangan-an, Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City.
Victim Matthew Casiao died, while his father Florento Casiao, and the child’s siblings Gean, 12, Miles, 10, Derec, 9, Shantal, 5, Maria theresa, 3, got hospitalized.
The victim’s mother, Margie Casiao, reportedly was not able to cook properly the puffer fish.
“Nakakaon man to silag butete na giluto ra within sa iyang pamilya. Wa matarong ug luto didto nato namatay,” Police Officer 2 Lolieboy Terana of the Olango Police Station confirmed during a phone call interview.
“Alas sais sa buntag. Natulog ni sila. Pagmata kay niaksyon ug kalipong ala una sa hapon. Mga alas 5:20 gidala sa hospital” Terana added.
Except for Matthew, the other members of the family were brought to the hospital due to dizziness caused by eating the puffer fish.
“Si Matthew wa ni siya gidala sa hospital kay namatay matod pa sa mga witnesses tungod sa pulso sa bata,” Terana said.
The family members were immediately brought to the Sta. Rosa Community Hospital for treatment and observations by the attending physicians.
They were later referred to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for further treatment. — Hanna D. Tejada, USC Intern GAN (FREEMAN)