1 dead, 32 hospitalized due to diarrhea in Davao Occidental town | ABS-CBN

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1 dead, 32 hospitalized due to diarrhea in Davao Occidental town

1 dead, 32 hospitalized due to diarrhea in Davao Occidental town

Gillan Ropero,

ABS-CBN News

 | 

Updated Jan 03, 2021 04:10 PM PHT

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MANILA (UPDATE) - One died while 32 others were brought to the hospital due to diarrhea in Jose Abad Santos town, Davao Occidental, its mayor said Sunday.

The fatality was a 68-year-old man who may have had complications while on the 2-hour journey to the district hospital, said mayor Jason Joyce. The patients began experiencing symptoms on Dec. 31, he said.

Authorities are looking at the village's water source as the cause of diarrhea.

"'Yung lugar po kasi namin is considered as geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas. Wala pong water district sa buong locality. Either sa poso po or direct source sa spring or rivers (ang water source)," Joyce told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.

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(Our area is considered as geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas. There's no water district in the whole locality. Water either comes from a deep-well, spring, or rivers.)

"May minsanan na rin po na ganitong pangyayari sa iba't ibang barangay natin dahil nga po open po ang water source natin at exposed siya sa mga bacteria."

(This has happened in different villages as we have open water source and it's exposed to bacteria.)

The Department of Health-Davao confirmed the outbreak in the said town and said 34 patients were admitted to the Tomas Lachica District Hospital, including the fatality.

Twenty-five patients are being "monitored closely," according to Municipal Health Officer Dr. Amparo Lachica.

"If anyone is experiencing three or more loose or liquid stools per day, this must be reported immediately to the nearest facility for immediate health interventions," the DOH said in a statement.

The mayor said the fatality could not have died from COVID-19 as the town currently has zero active infections.

"Hindi po COVID kasi sa ngayon po, zero kami sa active cases ng COVID at medyo strict po tayo sa ating implementation ng health protocols," he said.

(It's not COVID as we have zero active cases and we're strict in implementing health protocols.)

The DOH regional office said the cause of death of the 68-year-old man is "still under investigation."

It added that it has provided essential commodities such as medicines and intravenous fluids to the district hospital, and water storage and chlorine granules to the affected barangay.

"DOH would like to reiterate to the public once again the importance of safe-drinking water, use of improved sanitation and hand washing with soap (to) reduce the risk of diarrhea," it said.

The national government has a program that distributes potable water to different villages, according to the mayor.

"Dahan-dahan po ina-address natin ito sa pagbibigay ng safe na water source sa kanila," Joyce said.

(We are addressing this by giving safe water source to the public.)

"'Yun din po ina-advise namin, bago po gamitin ang tubig, pakuluan natin para mas ligtas po."

(We also advise them to boil water before consuming it.)

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World

South Korea's Yoon avoids fresh questioning after dramatic arrest

South Korea's Yoon avoids fresh questioning after dramatic arrest

Agence France-Presse

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A man watches South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol speak during a news broadcast on a television at a train station in Seoul on December 3, 2024, after he declared emergency martial law. Anthony Wallace, AFP 



South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol refused to appear for fresh questioning by investigators Thursday, a day after his dramatic arrest over a failed martial law declaration.

The Constitutional Court also opened its second hearing in a trial that will decide whether to uphold Yoon's impeachment, following the dawn raid that made him the country's first-ever sitting president to be detained.

The former star prosecutor -- who faces charges of insurrection -- was questioned for hours Wednesday but exercised his right to remain silent before being moved to a detention centre.

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Investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) were to resume Yoon's questioning Thursday afternoon, but his team told them he would not attend.

"President Yoon Suk Yeol's representatives informed the CIO through his legal counsel around 1:50 pm that there is 'no change in his position', indicating his intent not to appear," the CIO said in a statement.

Lawyer Yoon confirmed to AFP the embattled leader would not attend, without specifying the reason, but told the Yonhap news agency it was for health reasons.

"President Yoon is not well and fully explained his position yesterday so there is nothing more to be interrogated about," Yoon Kab-keun told Yonhap, an apparent reference to his Wednesday decision to not answer questions.

Wednesday's dramatic arrest saw a hundreds-strong force of police and investigators bypass bus barricades, cut barbed wire and scale ladders to get inside the compound where Yoon was surrounded by hundreds of guards.

Yoon said he complied with investigators to avoid "bloodshed" but did not accept the legality of the investigation.

Meanwhile, officials were trying to secure a new warrant that could hold him for longer than 48 hours.

If investigators successfully obtain that warrant, they are expected to be given a 20-day extension to the leader's detention to allow time to formalize an indictment against him.

South Korea's opposition Democratic Party celebrated Yoon's detention, while the parliament speaker said it was time to stabilize the country after weeks of turmoil.

But Yoon's lawyers have filed for a review of the warrant used to arrest him.

A hearing to review the warrant's legality was set for 5 pm (0800 GMT) at a Seoul court Thursday.

Experts say Yoon's legal team appeared to be trying to drag out the arrest process to his benefit.

"It appears that every legal tactic is being employed by Yoon's team to prolong the situation," Lee Jong-soo, a law professor at Yonsei University, told AFP.


TRIAL TRIBULATIONS


Yoon shocked the nation late on December 3 when he declared martial law, claiming he needed to safeguard South Korea "from the threats posed by North Korea's communist forces and eliminate anti-state elements".

He deployed troops to parliament but lawmakers defied them and voted down the move. Yoon revoked martial law after just six hours and was later impeached by parliament.

The 64-year-old suspended leader then evaded arrest for weeks by remaining in his residential compound, protected by loyal members of the Presidential Security Service (PSS).

Shortly after he was taken to the CIO offices, investigators began questioning Yoon, but they said later he exercised "his right to remain silent".

The CIO confirmed they were addressing him as "Mr President" during questioning.

In a parallel probe, the Constitutional Court is deciding whether to uphold Yoon's impeachment.

If that happens, Yoon will finally lose the presidency and fresh elections must be held within 60 days.

He did not attend Thursday's hearing in person and his lawyers instead requested a postponement that the court "decided not to accept", spokesperson Cheon Jae-hyun told reporters.

The trial is continuing in Yoon's absence, though proceedings could last for months.

However, the National Assembly's legal team told reporters before the hearing began that Yoon's arrest had "created the conditions to swiftly resolve the constitutional crisis through procedures outlined by the Constitution and the law."

© Agence France-Presse

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