Palace waiting for probe results on milk tea poisoning

The Palace on Saturday said it would wait for the results of the police investigation before it would make any comment on the deaths of two people allegedly due to contaminated milk tea in Sampaloc, Manila.

“I don’t want to take the results as they seem on the surface, but rather to wait for the results of the investigation of the PNP (Philippine National Police) on the matter,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio interview.

“Because medyo mabilis yung resulta, di ba?” she noted, referring to the immediate deaths of Suzaine Dagohoy, 28, and William Abrigo, 57, after consuming milk tea believed to be contaminated with poisonous chemicals.

“They succumbed to that cause in a very short span of time. So parang baka may — there is more to what we know, di ba? Baka…is it just spoiled milk or… So we’d rather not comment at this time,” Valte said.

Reports said Dagohoy and her boyfriend, Arnold Aydalla, 34, had ordered a drink at the Ergo Cha Milk Tea House along Bustillos Street in Sampaloc on Thursday morning.

They complained that their drink, which was prepared by the owner himself, Abrigo, tasted different, prompting Abrigo to also take a sip to test it.

Just a few minutes later, Dagohoy vomited and collapsed. Aydalla also felt dizzy and his limbs stiffened.

They were immediately brought to the hospital, but hours later, Dagohoy passed away.

The owner died as well.

A helper had claimed he saw the owner’s son working with some kind of chemical prior the incident. The helper said he was even asked to wash a pitcher that had a foul odor.

The Manila Police District (MPD) said it continues to investigate the incident.

Source: ABS-CBN News