Dead drug convict tested negative for COVID-19; BuCor claims he was also positive

One of the nine high-profile inmates who died at the New Bilibid Prison over the community quarantine imposed to keep the spread of COVID-19 tested negative for the coronavirus, documents presented by the Bureau of Corrections showed.

According to Marisol Abdurahman’s report on “24 Oras", convicted drug lord Francis Go's death certificate indicated that the immediate cause of his death on May 28 was hypoxia or a lack of oxygen in the body. The antecedent cause was severe pneumonia.

His COVID-19 test results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine showed that he was negative for the coronavirus.

According to BuCor, however, this was the second COVID-19 test conducted for Go after he had died.

The agency said there was a first test which showed that the late convict was positive for the virus.

Shuli Zhang, Eugene Chua, Benjamin Marcelo

Drug lord Shuli Zhang followed on May 30. In his death certificate, authorities stated “to consider COVID-19” as regards his cause of death.

Zhang's COVID-19 test, which was conducted two days prior to his death, showed positive results.

Meanwhile, maximum prison inmates Eugene Chua and Benjamin Marcelo both died on June 2. They were both tested for the virus on May 28.

The immediate cause of death stated on Chua’s death certificate was cardiopulmonary arrest while the underlying cause was COVID-19 disease.

The immediate cause of death stated on Marcelo’s certificate was "confirmed COVID-19 case" while acute gastroenteritis with moderate dehydration was written as a significant condition contributing to death.

Sherwin Sanchez, Amin Boratong

Sherwin Sanchez, meanwhile, died on June 4. The immediate cause of death on his certificate was cardio respiratory arrest while COVID-19 is the antecedent cause.

He tested positive for the virus on May 28.

Amim Imam Boratong, the operator of a shabu-market in Pasig, died on June 5. He tested positive for the test, which was conducted six days before his death.

In his death certificate, the immediate cause of death was cardio respiratory arrest, the antecedent cause was acute myocardial infarction, while the underlying case was confirmed COVID-19.

Willy Yang, Jaybee Sebastian

Drug lord Willy Yang died on June 17. His COVID-19 tested positive for the test, six days before he died.

The immediate cause of death in his death certificate was acute respiratory distress syndrome while the antecedent cause was COVID-19 severe.

Jaybee Sebastian was the last to die on July 18, a month after he took a COVID-19 test on June 17, where he tested positive.

Under his death certificate, the immediate cause of death was to consider acute myocardial infarction while COVID-19 was written under significant conditions contributing to death.

Meanwhile, authorities did not show high-profile inmate Jimmy Hang’s death certificate.

There are a total of 258 persons deprived of liberty and 86 personnel who had tested positive for the virus. -Joahna Lei Casilao/NB, GMA News