‘UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCE’: Why Iloilo City cleared responders in fatal Jaro stroke case

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Iloilo City government said its initial investigation found that emergency responders followed established protocols when they responded to a 61-year-old man who was later found dead inside his tricycle in Barangay Balabago, Jaro, amid allegations from the family that he was denied lifesaving treatment.

In a statement on Thursday, June 25, the city government said the inquiry, led by the City Legal Office, concluded that members of the Iloilo City Emergency Responders (ICER) acted in accordance with its “established emergency response and scene-management protocols” during the June 22 incident involving Freddie Porras of Leganes, Iloilo.

It described the case as an “unusual circumstance,” citing the early hour, the absence of eyewitnesses, the dark surroundings, and the limited information provided to dispatchers.

Records showed that ICER received the emergency call at 3:11 a.m., dispatched a response team at 3:13 a.m., and arrived at the scene at 3:21 a.m.

Upon arrival, responders found the caller and three teenagers near Porras, who was seated inside his tricycle.

“ICER personnel immediately assessed the patient’s condition and confirmed that he had no vital signs, was not breathing, had no pulse, exhibited bluish-black discoloration of the right calf and fingernails, had stiff hands and feet, and had fixed, dilated pupils,” the city government detailed.

While conducting the assessment, ICER personnel also informed barangay officials and the nearest police station, in keeping with protocol.

Police officers later secured the area by placing a cordon around the scene to allow for a possible crime scene investigation.

When Porras’ family arrived, responders informed them that the patient no longer had vital signs, after which the family decided to contact a funeral service.

“The actions of our emergency responders were carried out based on established protocols and the information available at the time of the response,” the city government emphasized.

The findings came a day after the city announced an internal investigation following allegations by the victim’s family that ICER personnel failed to provide immediate medical intervention.

Porras was reportedly on his way to Iloilo Terminal Market at about 2 a.m. to buy supplies for the family’s eatery when he allegedly suffered a stroke while passing through Barangay Balabago.

The family questioned why Porras was not immediately rushed to a hospital despite showing symptoms consistent with a stroke, arguing that prompt medical treatment could have increased his chances of survival.

Strokes are time-sensitive medical emergencies. In emergency medicine, clinicians often describe stroke care through the principle “time is brain,” because brain tissue is lost rapidly once blood flow is interrupted, and clot-dissolving treatment is generally considered most effective when given within the first hours of symptom onset.

No suspension for responders

Donna Magno, head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the ICER personnel who responded to the incident involving Porras have not been suspended because the initial investigation found “no breach of protocol.”

Magno, however, declined to discuss the specific parameters of the investigation, saying she would address them “in due time” out of respect for the wishes of the victim’s family.

She also refused to answer questions on the standard protocol when responders find a patient with no vital signs, likewise citing respect for the bereaved family.

“The details have already been explained to the family. What is in the statement of the city government, we stand by that,” she said in a press conference on Friday, June 26.

Asked about ICER’s general protocol in responding to medical emergencies, Magno said the standard practice is to immediately transport patients who are in critical situations to the hospital.

“The generic practice is load and go, especially if the patient is in a critical situation. But if it’s not that critical, there are assessments conducted, and that is in our protocol,” she said.

“The dispatch center then coordinates with the nearest hospital or the hospital preferred by the patient’s family. However, if there are unusual circumstances, our protocols also provide guidance on the appropriate course of action for the responding team,” she added.

Magno also denied claims that responders cannot bring a patient to the hospital without a relative or barangay official accompanying them.

“That is not true. If the situation is critical, it is ‘load and go.’ Hospitals cannot refuse to accept a patient in critical condition,” she said.

Asked who determines whether a patient is in critical condition, Magno said the assessment is made by the responding team in the field in coordination with the physician assigned at the dispatch center.

“It is the field team, together with the doctor at the dispatch center. In some cases, if the caller reports an emergency and it is immediately established that the patient is in critical condition, our doctor joins the team’s response right away,” she said.

Magno said a standard ICER ambulance team consists of one driver, two emergency crew members, and one nurse. If manpower is limited, the team may operate with only one crew member.

She added that responders maintain communication with the dispatch center through a phone patch to continuously assess the patient’s condition.

“The overarching concern of ICER is to save lives under any circumstance. That is our guiding principle—to prioritize life,” she stressed.

Magno said city government officials are scheduled to visit the wake of Porras next week.