Son who searched for detained father amid floods dies from leptospirosis

For three days, Dion Angelo Dela Rosa waded through flooded streets in search of his father, who did not return to their home at Barangay Longos in Malabon on July 22, 2025.

It was the height of the rains due to the Southwest Monsoon and successive tropical cyclones, which flooded a number of Metro Manila areas.

According to a report on "Saksi" by Nico Waje, Jennelyn dela Rosa, Dion's mother, said her husband, Jayson, accompanied one of their children who was going to work.

"Kaya kami ng mga anak ko, nag-aalala kasi hindi gawain ng asawa ko na aalis na walang pasabi," Jennelyn said, adding that her husband did not even bring his cellphone.

(We were worried because he doesn't leave the house without telling us where he is going.)

Amid the floods, Dion braved the streets of Caloocan, while Jennelyn went around Malabon.

On July 25, Dion found his father.

"Bandang tangahli, dun nila nahanap si Jayson, may napagtanungan na pulis.  Si Jayson, nadakip, dinala sa sa substation," Jennelyn said.

(Around noon, they asked the police, and found out Jayson was brought to the substation.)

The report said Jayson was detained at the substation after he was arrested for playing kaya y krus (coin toss), which is an illegal gambling under an old Philippine law. Jennelyn said they did not receive information about his detention.

It would also be the last time that Jayson would see his son alive.

On July 27, Dion had a fever and body aches.  He slept after eating.  He was later found dead after a cardiac arrest as a result of leptospirosis, the report said.

Jennelyn said the doctor called attention to Dion's wound, which she said has developed into an athlete's foot (alipunga) due to constant exposure to floodwaters.

Jayson was released on August 2.  Jennelyn said her husband could have been a victim of "pangsakto" of the police or wanton arrests to allegedly meet their quota.

"Hindi po n'ya ginawa 'yun, yung pong tinatawag na pansakto ng mga pulis, hinila s'ya, kinasuhan ng gambling," Jennelyn said.

"Tinago ka ng tatlong araw, hindi man lang pinakontak sa pamilya, pero ang sabi n'ya pinapakontak naman daw sa pamilya, hindi naman kinukuha ang number," she added.

(He didn't do it.  He could have been a victim of pangsakto of the cops.  He was charged with illegal gambling.  He was kept for three days.  He added the police said they would contact his family, but they didn't get our number.)

According to the Caloocan police, Jayson was nabbed at dawn of July 25, not two days earlier.

When Jennelyn sought help, they immediately informed other stations, which kept no record of Jayson.

"Nung malaman ng investigator natin may arrested tayong Jayson Dela Rosa, agad po n'yang ininform 'yung arresting officer na kung maaari kontakin ang kamag-anak," said Police Captain Romel Caburog, acting chief of the investigation section of the Caloocan Police.

The police office denied hiding Jayson.  He also denied the arrest quota allegations.

"Hindi po kami gumagawa ng ganung insidente na sinabi nilang pangsakto na kukuha kami ng kung sino sinong tao d'yan.  Hindi po totoo 'yun," Caburog said.

(We did not do it.  We do not just arrest anybody.)

Cardinal David

In a social media post, Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David decried the death of Dion, who he said was also known as Gelo and an altar server at Señor de Longos Mission Station.

"They had no idea that Gelo’s father had been arrested without a warrant and was detained for allegedly violating PD 1602—accused of engaging in illegal gambling. He was supposedly caught playing kara y krus," David said.

"This law against illegal gambling, passed during the time of the late father of the current president of the Philippines in 1978, was said to be a protection for the poor against the vice of gambling. Yet decades later, not a single major gambling lord has been arrested. The poor remain the only victims of this law—just like during the Tokhang days, when quotas on drug suspects became the ticket for promotion," he added.

David called a "painful irony" the arrest of Dion's father for playing kara y krus "when even children can gamble on their phones before they learn how to multiply."

Earlier, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines released a pastoral statement against online gambling entitled.  A few days later, David said he released another pastoral letter for the Diocese of Kalookan about flooding and alleged corruption in public works.

"I did not know that in the tragedy that would befall Gelo’s family, the twin problems of corruption from flooding and gambling would intersect," he said. —LDF, GMA Integrated News