Philippine Government Should Conduct Separate Inquiry on Death of Filipino Worker

The Philippine government should conduct its own inquiry on the recent death of Darius Pileno and on the cause of sickness of all five remaining Filipino workers of the Chung Hwa Chemical Factory in Nan Liao, Hsinchu. Darius Pileno died of hepatitis after just working for 13 days in a chemical factory in Taiwan. Taiwanese health and labor authorities, however, are still investigating if the cause of death of Darius is due to chemical poisoning inside the factory. Besides Darius, co-worker Danilo Tagatac is still confined at the Veterans General Hospital and is diagnosed with chemical hepatitis. Both Darius and Danilo worked in the Chung Hwa Chemical Plant in Nan Liao, Hsinchu that manufactures chemical powder into color film. The four other Filipino workers in the factory are still working in the factory even though they themselves had rashes while working in the plant.

The lone fatality arrived in Taiwan on July 10 and felt sick on the 19th.

He was brought to the Dong Yuan hospital in Ju Bei, Hsinchu the following morning and was given some medication and was told that he could go back to work. Darius, however, was not able to work because of his bad condition and was rushed back to hospital on the 23rd, in which day he died. Darius' cadaver was sent back to the Philippines on August 1.

Danilo, on the other hand, arrived in Taiwan on June 7. He first had rashes one week after his arrival. He was brought to the Dong Yuan hospital and was told that he had allergy and was given medicine for that and returned to the hospital a few times after with the same kind of treatment and diagnosis. When Darius died and Danilo's health deteriorated, Danilo was confined to the Dong Yuan hospital on July 24 and stayed there up to the 26th. On his urgings, Danilo was transferred to the Veterans General Hospital on July 27. According to his doctor, he might fully recover in two weeks time. Dr. Ming-Ling Wu of the Veteran's Clinical Toxicology Division opined that Filipinos are more susceptible to certain diseases due to either or a combination of a change in environment, to new kinds of diet or

to internal body reactions caused by certain medicines. Dr. Jiin Ger, on the other hand stated that some kind of chemicals caused Danny's hepatitis. The kind of chemicals were not yet determined.

Danilo also stated that he saw some Taiwanese workers who also had rashes but where able to take a rest day and recover from the illness. At the same time, some  old workers told him that three Taiwanese workers have allegedly died sometime in the past due to sickness in the factory. Dr. Jiin Ger, on the other hand stated that based on the medical records of the Taiwanese workers that they have, not one got sick because of chemical contamination. 

What is clear about the case is that Darius and Danny got their disease in Taiwan and that Danny has chemical hepatitis. From Danny's own account that Taiwanese workers also developed rashes, this should dispel findings that the Filipinos special biological traits caused one of them to die and the others like him to get sick. In essence, the cause of Danny's sickness and Darius' death remains a mystery.

The Philippine government, on the other hand, should send its own investigating team and specialists to Taiwan to determine the cause of Danny's sickness. At the same time, Danny and the other victims should have the right to be examined by other specialists of their own choosing other than those in the Veterans General Hospital. Meanwhile, production should be stopped in the factory and the workers should continue to receive their full wages and other benefits until the cause of death and sickness

is determined. Danny and others who prefer not to work in the factory should also be granted the right to be transferred to another factory if they wish to choose so.

August 5, 2000

Asia Pacific Mission for Migrant Filipinos (APMMF)

No. 4 Jordan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Tel. No. (852) 2723-7536

Fax No. (852) 2735-9037

e-mail: apmmf@hknet.com