Brother or butete? Fight, food poisoning eyed in Albay barangay tanod’s death

Is a fight with a brother or a poorly prepared dish of puffer fish to blame for the death of a barangay tanod in Tiwi town in Albay province last Wednesday?

Police are still weighing these two theories in probing the death of Barangay Dapdap tanod Bonifacio Cogmito, GMA Bicol's Maila Aycocho reported.

Cogmito, 54, died Wednesday afternoon, hours after a fight with his brother Agapito. He was declared dead on arrival at the Saint Claire Clinic in Tiwi.

Agapito said his brother was drunk when they had a fight over a land dispute.

However, a follow-up investigation also showed that hours before the brothers' fight, the victim took part in a drinking spree at a neighboring barangay.

Butete or puffer fish – which could be deadly if wrongly prepared – was served as pulutan (finger food) during the drinking.

"Pwedeng epekto yun nung kinain nilang butete na ginawa nilang pulutan. Apat kasi silang nag-inuman. Yung dalawa hindi kumain ng niluto nila, yung dalawa kumain. Maraming kinain yung kapatid ko," Agapito said.

Tiwi police OIC Inspector Jorem Kallos said they have asked the family if they want an autopsy conducted, to determine what caused the victim's death. — Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News