Hundreds of people suffered from alleged food poisoning during the 90th birthday celebration of former First Lady Imelda Marcos held at Ynares Sports Complex in Pasig City on Wednesday, July 3, according to Senator Richard Gordon.
In a tweet, Gordon, who is also the chair of Philippine Red Cross (PRC), said as of 3 p.m. on Wednesday, the number of affected individuals has risen to more than 200.
“PRC is still on the ground to provide assistance,” he said.
According to reports, the celebration was attended by around 2,500 guests who were served chicken adobo rice with a boiled egg. Gordon said some attendees “suffered from vomiting and dizziness.”
Bryant Wong of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) told reporters that Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will test the meal served to the participants of the event. The results, he noted, will be out after three days.
PRC, meanwhile, has also dispatched eight of its ambulances to respond to the incident.
In a speech at the event, Marcos’s daughter, Senator Imee Marcos, said the food may have been spoiled.
“Sa sobrang excited nitong lola natin, eh mukhang hindi pa araw narito na, mukhang nagkapanis-panis na ‘yung pagkain. Gayunpaman, solid na solid pa rin (My mother was super excited; she seemed to be here even before dawn that the food may have gone bad. Despite this, it is still solid),” she said.
The lawmaker added that they will take care and visit each of those victims who were rushed to hospitals.
Former Senator Bongbong Marcos also apologized over the incident and asked for understanding.
“Kami po ay nakikipag-ugnayan sa mga maaapektuhan at patuloy na umaasikaso sa kanila (We are coordinating with and assisting the affected people),” he said in a statement.
Prior to this, a celebration was held on Monday, the eve of the former first lady’s birthday, at the Rizal Park Open Air Auditorium in Luneta which was attended by thousands of their supporters.