Food poisoning downs 100 SK officials

(UPDATE) AT least 100 Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials from the different villages of San Carlos City in Pangasinan province were taken to hospitals in Olongapo City on Tuesday due to suspected food poisoning.

The officials, who were at the Traveller's Hotel and Event Center at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone attending a gender sensitivity seminar, included city officials led by Mayor Julier Resuello.

They complained of stomach pain, diarrhea and vomiting after taking their lunch on Tuesday consisting of menudo, fried chicken and chop suey.

In a video message on social media, Resuello assured the parents of the SK officials that he will not leave the youth leaders until they are safely brought back to their own homes.

«I will not leave Subic na hindi ko sila kasama at hindi maayos ang kanilang kalagayan (I won't leave Subic without them and if their condition is still not OK),» said Resuello.

He also said that many of them have been discharged from the hospitals on Tuesday night and will be ferried home to San Carlos on Wednesday.

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is now investigating the incident through its Public Health and Safety Department.

Resuello said that he, too, suffered food poisoning, but he said that as the «father of our city,» he had to attend to the needs of his constituents.

Resuello also announced that a similar seminar for the second batch of SK officials has been postponed to a still undetermined date.

«We're going to reschedule the seminar for the second batch. We discussed this, and the plan is to first bring our SK officials back to San Carlos,» Resuello said.

He thanked Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino Jr., SBMA and Liga ng mga Barangay Federation for sending their ambulances to the seminar venue and for taking the food poisoning victims to hospitals.