EcoWaste Coalition on Monday urged the city government of Manila to ban the sale of oxalic acid, which was blamed for the death of a milk tea shop owner and his customer last month.
Nana fields questions from mediamen on the filing
of two counts of murder and frustrated murder
cases against Loyd Abrigo, son of the Ergo Cha
milk tea owner who died along with a female
consumer after ingesting an oxalic acid-laced tea.
DANNY PATA
The group said that oxalic powder, a product used for multi-purpose bleaching and cleaning, is being sold by street vendors along Ilaya Street in Divisoria for less than P100 per kilo.
“Oxalic acid, as far as we know, is allowed for industrial applications and should not be sold to unauthorized users and much more sold on the streets by ambulant vendors,” said Thony Dizon, EcoWaste Coalition coordinator.
“The white Oxalic powdery substance looks similar to iodized salt or refined sugar that food preparers can use by mistake, especially if improperly stored,” he said.
Last April, the Manila City government led by Vice Mayor Isko Moreno padlocked two milk-tea houses in Sampaloc, Manila for lack of sanitary and health permit.
The closure came in the wake of the death of two persons who had ingested the beverage, said to be contaminated by poisonous substance.
The fatality—Suzaine Dagohoy, 28, vomitted and collapsed after taking a sip of the milk tea bought from Ergo Cha Milk Tea House located along Bustos Street.
Her boyfriend Arnold Aydalla, who was rushed to the Philippine General Hospital, survived but the shop’s owner William Abrigo, 57, also died when he took a sip after the couple complained that the tea tasted different.
Police Chief Supt. Theresa Cid, director of the PNP Crime Laboratory, said the victims were tested positive for oxalic acid based on the findings of forensics from the Crime Laboratory in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
On the other hand, medical records of Aydalla from the PGH showed that he was diagnosed for “Toxic Ingestion of Unknown Substance.”
EcoWaste recalled that in 2011 two pupils of Larion Bajo Elementary School in Tuguegarao City were killed and 44 others were hospitalized due to oxalic-related food poisoning.
Kindergarten pupils Eloisa Ballad and Jessica May Bangayan died after eating “miki” noodles in the school canteen that was mistakenly “salted” with oxalic powder by the teacher who prepared it.
Citing online material safety data sheet (MSDS) of oxalic acid, the EcoWaste Coalition said that the substance is very corrosive to the human body and may be fatal if inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the skin.
“Inhalation of dust or mist may cause irritation or burns to upper respiratory system, nose, mouth or throat. Ingestion may cause irritation or burns to mouth throat or stomach. Contact with skin or eyes may cause irritation or burns,” the MSDS warns.
Water is added to oxalic powder to create the acid used for bleaching and for removing rusts and stains. With Francisco Tuyay