Claire dela Fuente's son Gigo de Guzman details singer's COVID-19 battle

Gigo de Guzman, the son of the late singer Claire dela Fuente, said his mom stayed in a tent outside a hospital, while waiting to be admitted days before she passed away.

In a virtual interview with GMA News reporter Emil Sumangil on Tuesday, Gigo detailed the singer's COVID-19 experience.

"She was diagnosed last week along with myself but I [am] asymptomatic while she showed mild symptoms, which is why she was recommended to go to the hospital and to be monitored," Gigo said.

"Everything seemed fine and she seemed OK until last night when her anxiety got the best of her. We were told that her heart gave in this morning and they tried to revive her but there was nothing they could do," he continued.

According to Gigo, Claire wasn't completely confined in a hospital the whole time she was battling COVID-19. "She was actually staying in a tent outside Las Piñas Doctors Hospital waiting to be admitted," Gigo revealed.

"Doon po siya naka-stay. It wasn't until yesterday that she was transferred to Pope John Paul II hospital, in Las Piñas as well. So that [in] the ER of that hospital, that's where she passed away" he added.

When asked how long his mother was confined, Gigo said he wasn't sure but his mother definitely went to the tent in Las Piñas Doctors Hospital on Saturday.

"Basta Saturday po siya pumunta sa tent sa Las Piñas Doctors Hospital and pagdating po ng — yesterday lang po siya trinansfer sa Pope John Paul," he said.

Gigo, who is also currently in quarantine, said, there are plans of holding a virtual wake for the singer. "Kasi ako rin po naka-quarantine and I really can't do anything right now."

Gigo suspects they contracted the virus inside their home, after one of the members of their staff went out to buy essentials. Neither him or his mom has gone out, he said.

"'Di po namin alam kung sino, dahil siyempre yung iba po sa kanila talagang kailangan lumabas para bumili ng kung ano po. 'Yun lang po eh, kasi hindi po kami lumalabas ng bahay recently," he said.

Both Gigo and Claire got tested for COVID-19 last Friday, after his mom showed symptoms.

"Ako po ok lang po ako asymptomatic po ako. 'Yung nanay ko po, may sipon, ubo, at konting sinat. Sabi ko 'Ma, pa-test ka na just in case, kailangan natin malaman.' It confirmed our worst fears,'" he said.

Gigo also had a message for his mother's fans.

"Sa mga fans po ng nanay ko, sa mga sumuporta sa kanya, sa mga taong natulungan niya, thank you po for everything you've done for my mom, for giving her such a fulfilling life and know that we will be strong. Me and my brother, we're raised to be strong by my mom and my dad so we will be OK," he said.

Claire, who is an OPM icon, passed away on Tuesday morning at around 7 a.m. "due to cardiac arrest from stress resulting from her diagnosis of COVID-19." She was 63 years old.

She rose to fame in the 1970's as a jukebox icon with hits such as "Sayang."

The Philippines posted a record-high 10,016 new infections on Monday afternoon, bringing the national tally to 731,894 with 603,213 recoveries and 13,186 deaths.

According to a 24 Oras Weekend report last Sunday, the government is scrambling to increase facilities for COVID-19 patients as emergency rooms and hospital wards are at full capacity amid the surge in new infections.

On March 23, it was reported that 28 hospitals across Metro Manila no longer had available intensive care unit (ICU) beds for COVID-19 patients as of March 21, Department of Health (DOH) data showed. — Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/LA, GMA News