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M'lang Vice Mayor Joselito Piñol said his brother, Gov. Emmanuel Piñol, settled the hospital bills of the victims amounting to P17,658.
The Grade Five pupils of Katipunan Elementary School were sent to the M'lang District Hospital in the afternoon of December 22 when they complained of severe stomachache and headache after eating buko salad in their Christmas party.
Leonila Gabawa, the teacher adviser, said she suspected the buko, or young coconuts, to have been spoiled and caused the ailment. She said the buko was taken a day before their Christmas party on Thursday and was observed to have cracks in the shell but were still used in the salad.
According to Gabawa, her pupils also suffered diarrhea.
Victim Morilou Modesto blamed the buko salad for possibly causing his ailment. Amo lang man to amon gin kaon. Waay naman ko nagkaon sang iba pa ng handa (I only ate buko salad. I did not even eat other food prepared in our party)," Modesto said.
Dr. Glenn Caingled of M'lang District hospital has confirmed that the school children were downed by the spoiled buko meat and were infected with amoebiasis. He declared them out of danger already and many have been discharged after five days of confinement. (Williamor A. Magbanua/MindaNews)