A 4-year-old boy died Tuesday while his mother who is pregnant also passed away at dawn yesterday at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital after reportedly being poisoned by “lupoy” (young mackerel fish) that they ate at their house in Purok Riverside, Brgy. Banago, Bacolod City.

Jonathan Jabel, who was in tears, told the DAILY STAR yesterday that he does not know where to get the money for the burial of his wife Delia, 35 and their son Darwin, 4, whose remains are now at their home.

Jabel said his daughters Jundel, 13 and Jessa, 2, who were also confined at the CLMMRH were supposed to be discharged yesterday but their release permits were not signed as they failed to settle their hospital bills.

Jabel recounted that he bought P20 worth of lupoy fish in Puno Banago, marinated it with soy sauce and vinegar, cooked and ate it for dinner with his family Friday.

He added that, hours later, his wife and children complained of stomach ache and started vomiting, prompting him to bring them to the hospital the following day.

Grace Tan, head of the Bacolod City Health Environmental Sanitation Department, said they will investigate the incident to determine what caused the poisoning.

Tan said that, most likely, it was triggered by improper food handling, dirty water, or the fish they ate were stale.

Jabel said he washed the fish carefully, but admitted that they appeared to be stale.*APN

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