Police probe liquor poisoning in death of 4 men

Police are looking into "liquor poisoning" as the cause of death of four tricycle drivers and hospitalized 13 others while they were preparing for a Christmas party, Friday evening, in Novaliches, Quezon City.

The 17 men, all tricycle drivers, were reportedly drinking lambanog or coconut wine.

Quezon City Police Station 4 commander, Superintendent Rossel Cejas, said the men – members of San Bartolome Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association – drank the lambanog during a meeting held in the house of the association president, Romeo Mateo in Barangay San Bartolome, Novaliches, on November 30. The lambanog was purchased from a neighbor.

The next day, December 1, the group went back to Mateo's place to consume the remaining lambanog. Investigation showed that the tricycle drivers consumed six liters of lambanog which was placed inside a plastic water container.

The following day, December 2, the victims complained of severe stomach pain, and were brought to the Novaliches District Hospital.

One of the tricycle drivers, Delfin Bangayon, died while being treated at the hospital. Two others – Dennis Cuadra, 37, and Alvin Reyes, 42 – also died in the same hospital the following day.

The death certificates of the three men stated the cause of death as cardiopulmonary arrest.

The next day, another victim, Crispulo Mateo Jr., 43, died at the East Avenue Medical Center where he was rushed after he complained of chest pain and difficulty in breathing.

Thirteen other tricycle drivers are now being treated at the East Avenue Medical Center after experiencing the same symptoms.

Meanwhile, Lerma Soriano, the source of the lambanog, said she had purchased the liquor from Candelaria in Quezon Province, which is the usual request of the group when she goes there.

Cejas, the station commander, said they are still waiting for the result of laboratory tests on the lambanog to determine if it contained toxic substance.