DESTROYED. Debris at the fire scene at the El Salvador city hall where Rene Fuentes, a man with a health problem, was locked up and subsequently died. (PHOTO BY NITZ ARANCON)
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By NITZ ARANCON
with ANJANETTE VILLAMOR
Correspondents /

VICE Gov. Jose Mari Pelaez yesterday called on El Salvador’s city council to start an investigation into the death of a man with a mental disorder who died in a facility of the Misamis Oriental component city during a fire early this week.

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Pelaez said he hoped that the city council under El Salvador Vice Mayor Eduardo Ayunting would initiate an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Fuentes who was allegedly locked up in a local government facility because he was suffering from mental illness.

He said a city council investigation in aid of legislation would enable local officials to identify who allowed Fuentes to be locked up inside a storage facility of El Salvador’s engineering office.

The head of the city’s social welfare and development office, Anuncianon Prospero, earlier alleged that Fuentes was locked up by his sister Gina Cabigquis in the city hall-owned facility. Prospero said Cabigquis, a mere sitio leader, had a key to the city hall facility.

Pelaez said, “Ato sang hatagan ug panahon ang city council sa El Salvador to conduct an investigation in aid of legislation  kay component city man sila sa province of Misamis Oriental, and  then kon walay ilang himoong action, ayha ra dayon ang Sanguniang Panlalawigan mo-intra, to conduct an inquiry, aron ang nahitabo ni Fuentes, dili na mausab sa sunod pang higayon,” Pelaez said.

He said he felt bad about what happened to the man with a mental ailment who, according to the city’s police chief, had been locked up inside the facility for quite some time. Supt. Jerry Tambis said Fuentes, who had been violent that he was placed under “safekeeping” by social workers, died of suffocation during the fire.

Meanwhile, an officer at the mental clinic at the capitol said the provincial health office has medicines for people with mental health problems.

Mercy Grace Jamis said the medicines are intended for outpatients only but if there was a need for therapy, the patients are referred to the provincial social welfare and development office.

Hannah Gumapon of the capitol’s social welfare and development office said local governments are supposed to be in the frontline in handling people with mental disorders.

Gumapon said the capitol’s social workers only provide augmentation, support and other assistance to local governments.

She said local governments should address issues like budgeting, homekeeping, training of workers and medicine supplies for citizens with mental health problems.

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