Septuagenarian dies while queuing to vote

By Jennifer P. Rendon 

A 76-year-old man was believed to have died from cardiac arrest while queuing to vote in Pototan, Iloilo.

Glorioso Parreño, a resident of Barangay Bagacay, Pototan, Iloilo, was sitting on a chair and waiting for his turn to vote at the village gym around 8 a.m. Monday when he began acting uneasy.

Parreño was with some family members when the incident happened.

A relative claimed the victim then gestured that he was experiencing pain on his chest.

He was immediately taken to Iloilo Provincial Hospital in Pototan town but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Major Ciriaco Esquilarga, Pototan police chief, said Parreño was given priority being a senior citizen.

“There was no long queue. He was just waiting for his turn to cast his vote when he was seen acting uncomfortable,” he said.

Esquilarga said he has been to the said polling precincts after they received several information of vote buying incidents.

The area is just around a kilometer from the town proper.

Rescuers from a volunteer group stationed at the polling place immediately came to the victim’s aid.

“But maybe, it was combination of his old age and the hot weather that caused him to fall ill,” Esquilarga said