BILIBID DEATHS | Prison officials show death certificates of inmates who died from COVID-19

July 22, 2020 , 07:44 PM

(July 22, 2020) – Prison officials on Wednesday showed copies of the death certificates of nine high-profile convicts who died from coronavirus, a day after lawmakers demanded proof of their demise as rumors swirled they were set free.

Death certificates of five Chinese and four Filipinos serving life sentences for drug-related cases were shown to the media to dispel rumors about switching, after a bag of ashes was shown early this week to confirm a high-profile inmate died from the disease.

The death of Jaybee Sebastian, a central figure in the drug-related case of a detained opposition senator, gained prominence after reports filtered out about his sudden death last week.

Another controversial convict who died from coronavirus was Amin Imam Boratong, a notorious drug lord who had undergone cosmetic surgery before he was arrested, as well as two others, identified as Sherwin Sanchez and Benjamin Marcelo.

Boratong died in June and was immediately cremated and buried according to Muslim religious tradition.

Five Chinese inmates were also said to have died: Francis Go, Zhang Zhu Li, Willy Yang, Jimmy Kinsing Hung, and Eugene Chua.

Zhang died on May 30 and the latest was Sebastia on July 18.

The death certificates showed Boratong and five others died from COVID-19 and the immediate causes of death were cardiorespiratory arrests, cardiopulmonary arrest, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and acute gastroenteritis.

On the other hand, Sebastian’s cause of death was acute myocardial infarction or heart attack, but related to COVID-19. Go was said to have died of hypoxia, or lack of oxygen, along with severe pneumonia.

Zhang and Hung were both declared dead on arrival, but the NBP said they could be considered due to COVID-19.

All COVID-19-related deaths were buried or cremated within 12 hours based on health department’s protocols. The health department had also advised the bodies should be sealed in double body bags, and never opened.

The public aired their suspicions when the penitentiary confirmed the death of the nine inmates in the maximum security compound, and that they were immediately cremated. Details of their deaths were not revealed at first, with the jail chief invoking the Data Privacy Act.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the protocols for releasing information upon an inmate’s death is inadequate and needs to be improved.

“Merong mga stories or theories na they did not die,that parang napalitan yan by someone else and they were let go,” he said in a pre-State of the Nation Address briefing.

“Because of these various theories, and also for the benefit of the BuCor to dispel any doubt na merong ngang anomaly dito sa mga pagkamatay na ito, we thought it proper and prudent to request the NBI to make its own inquiry into the matter,” Guevarra said.

He added that an average of 2-3 inmates around the country die daily for various causes, as they have tallied 476 deaths from January to July 19.

But only 21 died of the coronavirus, he said.

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) confirmed that 344 inmates and jail personnel tested positive for the virus. 320 of them recovered.

BuCor officials also denied any incident of death certificates for sale and body switching when they cremated the inmates. But said they were willing to change protocols to assure the public.

“We became transparent. In fact, after this one meron na kaming investigation sa NBI at makikipag-coordinate kami para ibigay sa kanila kung anong records ang kailangan to be transparent in this matter,” said Hobert Luz, legal consultant for the Bureau of Corrections.

The Bilibid hospital director also appealed to the public not to judge them as they were working to save lives.

“Pag nag-duty po sila, 7 days straight. Yung iba nagka-COVID na. Gusto ko po sana mainclude yung magandang nagawa nila,” said Dr. Henry Fabro, the NBP hospital director. (Reports from Gary de Leon, Lyn Olavario, Marlene Alcaide | Katrina Elaine Alba/MM)

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