CCPO willing to help investigate OFW’s death inside quarantine hotel in Cebu City

Mercedita Torbeso was a teacher in Cambodia who was planning to retire and stay with her family in Talisay City for good. | Photo Courtesy of Ken Torbeso

CEBU CITY, Philippines —  The Cebu City Police Office is willing to help investigate the death of an Overseas Filipino Worker inside a quarantine hotel in barangay Apas, here.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) said they are willing to extend help should the OFW’s family decide to file a formal complaint against the management of the hotel.

Parilla said this after receiving reports that the family of 53-year-old Mercedita Torbeso of Talisay City is planning to ask their assistance in investigating the incident.

Parilla said the family believes there was negligence on the part of the hotel.

“Kung duna silay complaint, if ang hotel dili mu cooperate, pwde nato sila matabangan, pwede sila makaduol sa atoa for any assistance nga pwede nato matabang sa ilaha,” Parilla said.

(If they have complaints and the hotel won’t cooperate, we can help them. They can visit us for any assistance that we can provide.)

READ: OFW found dead in hotel quarantine facility in Cebu City, family calls for investigation

Ken Torbeso, the son of Mercedita, in an interview, said that they are wondering how the hotel’s medical staff missed checking on their mother when they already know that she had asthma.

Torbeso was found lifeless inside her room on September 4.

“Naa gyod niy negligence kay nganong wala man namonitor among mama. Nakabantay na gud sila nga wala gikaon ang meals, nya wala silay gibuhat? Nagmonitor man kaha sila, nganong wala man silay gibuhat?” he said.

(There is negligence here because they failed to monitor our mama. They said they already noticed that she did not eat her meals, why didn’t they do anything? If they were monitoring, then why they did not help our mother?)

Ken added that the hotel management was uncooperative and did not provide the requested records and possible CCTV footage of their mother’s stay in the said facility.

Quoting the initial investigation of the Mabolo police, it was around 7 p.m. on September 4 when a nurse on duty discovered Mercedita’s body inside her room.

According to Parilla, the nurse, identified as Chatt Dumaguit, knocked on the victim’s door around 2 p.m. for her daily check-up.

Since there was no response, the nurse thought Mercedita was just resting and left.

Five hours after, the duty nurse returned, but getting no response again, she asked for assistance from the hotel’s security personnel and opened Mercedita’s room using a keycard.

They found Mercedita’s body on the bed, police said.

Dumaguit reportedly called for an ambulance but personnel from the Emergency Responding Unit declared Mercedita dead.

Parilla said that according to the report from the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO), Mercedita died of natural causes since there were no signs of foul play.

Mercedita worked as a teacher in Cambodia for six years and was planning to retire and stay with her family for good.

She returned to the country on September 1 but was isolated for at least 10 days under OWWA’s mandatory quarantine protocol. Parilla added that Mercedita tested negative for COVID-19 upon her arrival.

READ: Shorter quarantine period for fully vaxxed returning ROFs, OFWs pushed

/rcg