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KORONADAL CITY — Local and health authorities in South Cotabato are attending to the needs of about two dozen individuals who were hospitalized due to abdominal pains Saturday, a local executive said, yesterday.

Mayor Dibu Tuan of T’boli, South Cotabato, said the local officials are attending to the needs of the patients, mostly from the upland town of T’boli.

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They remained confined in a private hospital in Baangay Edwards, T’boli town in South Cotabato, according to RomarAzar-con, church leader from Surallah.

Azarcon, president of Surallah Parish Pastoral Council, said all those rushed to the hospital after complaining of abdominal pain have participated during last Saturday’s protest action against aerial spraying in Delinanas banana plantation in Surallah.

Tuan would not confirm a poisoning case but added the victims showed symptoms of food poisoning.

Azarcon said the rally participants from T’boli had brought their own food for lunch while those from Surallah were fed with “pansit” (noodles) and cooked rice prepared by the Surallah parish convent. The T’boli victims also tasted the “pansit.”

“We suspect that the food of rally participants from T’boli were spoiled because they were wrapped in banana leaves exposed to sunlight,” Azarcon said.

Tuan and Azarcon said health authorities have taken samples of the victims’ discharges for laboratory examination.

Azarcon said the victims joined the protest rally against aerial spray in Sural-lah and prevented a plane from taking off.

At the end of the protest, the participants had lunch and went home.

On Saturday night, at least 24 have complained of stomach pain.

Azarcon ruled out the abdominal complaints of participants was caused by chemicals used in spraying of banana.

Food poisoning cases have been reported in South Cotabato and Sultan Kudaat last month that downed at least 70 persons. There were no know fatalities from these incidents.(pna)

 

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