Food poisoning downs 8 soldiers in Davao del Sur

DIGOS CITY – At least eight soldiers from the Army’s 39th Infantry Battalion (IB) based in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur ended up in a hospital after eating a type of poisonous mushroom they cooked with other vegetables on Friday, the unit’s commander said Saturday.

Lieutenant Colonel Norman Zuniega, 39th Infantry Battalion commanding officer, said the soldiers were on patrol in Barangay (village) Kapatagan in Digos City when they decided to take a break, gather some vegetables and mushrooms and cook them.

A few minutes after feasting on the food, Zuniega said his men started experiencing abdominal pains and dizziness.

“The soldiers were fetched by an ambulance from Sitio Mainit and were evacuated to a hospital in Davao City for medication. They are now in stable condition after undergoing treatment,” Zuniega said.

Despite the incident, he said the anti-communist operation in Kapatagan and other parts of Davao del Sur remained unhampered.

“The operation was meant to thwart any attempts by the New People’s Army to sow terror,” Zuniega said.

The Davao del Sur police office reported that the NPA has acquired some 500 police uniforms and that the rebels might have been planning a bigger offensive.

Senior Superintendent Ronaldo Llanera, Davao del Sur police director, said this was the main reason why all police units in the province have been placed under high alert status.