2 more in Lucena died from suspected ‘lambanog’ poisoning

LUCENA CITY – Two suspected victims of controversial “lambanog” (coconut wine) died in a public hospital here on Tuesday and Wednesday, police said.

In a belated report, Lt. Colonel Romulo Albacea, Lucena police chief, said Arvin Jun Gonzalez, 34, and Dominic Colegio, 29, were rushed by their respective families to Quezon Medical Center on Dec. 24 around 8 a.m.

Citing information from their relatives, police said the victims were reportedly vomited, lost eyesight and displayed unusual behavior.

Police said Gonzales died on the same day at around 10:25 p.m. while Colegio passed away while undergoing dialysis on Wednesday around 5:25 p.m.
However, the police report did not provide details on where the victims bought the alcoholic drink. The report merely stated “alleged lambanog poisoning”.

Police said both families of the victims refused to have their bodies undergo an autopsy examination to determine the possible cause of their deaths.

Authorities reported that 11 people from Rizal and Nagcarlan towns in Laguna and three from Candelaria town in Quezon had died after drinking the local brew.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday found traces of methanol in samples of “lambanog” collected from stores or distributors that were said to be responsible for their deaths.