By Anthony Giron
IMUS CITY, Cavite – At least five sickly inmates have reportedly died in the hospital after complaining of difficulty in breathing while in city and municipal police jails in Cavite since the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was enforced last March 17 due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
The demise of the persons under police custody, or PUPCs, were reported in the cities of Dasmariñas and Bacoor and municipalities of General Mariano Alvarez (GMA) and Kawit from March 30 to April 23.
All of them complained of having difficulty in breathing while in their cells. One of them had fever. All were pronounced dead in hospitals where they were brought by police officials.
Cavite Police Provincial Office (PPO) reports identified the fatalities as Romeo Dela Pascion Peyra, Michael Taway Dreu, Cesar Veluz Javier, Joey Gavila Benicio and Peter John Caparino.
Peyra died on Thursday night, April 23, at the Pagamutan ng Dasmariñas, a public hospital, after he had difficulty breathing and was found unconscious in his cell reportedly six days earlier.
The PUPC, who was detained on a charge for violation of Republic Act 9262 (violence against women and children act) last April 8, was brought to the hospital on April 17 for treatment, according to a report.
The cause of Peyra’s death was not immediately known as the result of his autopsy examination was still being awaited.
Dreu, 37, a PUPC of GMA police, was reportedly declared dead on-arrival at the General Emilio Aguinaldo Memorial Hospital in Trece Martires City, Cavite, where he was brought by GMA Chief of Police Major Jaypee de Guzman, and a jail officer.
Dreu, a resident of Biclatan, General Trias City, Cavite, was reportedly detained on charges of drugs and violation for Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Act) after his arrest last February 25.
Initial police report showed that Dreu was found having difficulty in breathing at the GMA police jail by other inmates at 12 a.m. of April 21.
Javier, 57, reportedly died last April 17 at Las Piñas General Hospital, a day after he was found to be nursing a fever, and having difficulty in breathing while in detention at the Kawit municipal jail.
The PUPC, a resident of Barangay Wakas II, Kawit, had been detained on a drug charge since last March 9.
The authorities said that Javier likely succumbed to heart failure, and had ruled out COVID-19 as the cause.
Master Sergeant Roldan V. Requioma, case investigator, reported that prior to his detention, Javier was diagnosed to have tuberculosis and that he had been under medication.
The Bacoor police reported that Benicio, 44, died at the Southern Tagalog Regional Hospital after he was found having difficulty breathing in the city police custodial facility in the early morning of April 2.
Benicio, a construction worker and resident of Silver Street, Greenvalley, Barangay San Nicolas, Bacoor was detained on March 22 for violation of Presidential Decree 1602 (illegal gambling).
Caparino, 30, reportedly died also at the Southern Tagalog Regional Hospital in the early afternoon of March 30 after he also had difficulty breathing at the Bacoor police jail.
The PUPC, a resident of San Nicolas III, Bacoor City, was detained on charges of grave threat, direct assault and RA 10586 (an anti-drunk driving law) last March 19.