Altar boy who searched for detained father dies of leptospirosis

The 20-year-old student who reportedly died of leptospirosis after wading through floodwaters while searching for his father — arrested for a minor gambling violation — was laid to rest Sunday.

His peers at the Nuestro Señor De Longos Parish presented the family of Dion Angelo “Gelo” Dela Rosa with a Certificate of Recognition for his service and faith to the Roman Catholic Church during a requiem Mass for the repose of his soul.

"Masakit. Ngunit makabuluhan ang aming pagsasama ng dalawampung taon. Maraming salamat sa lahat ng nakiramay sa amin," his father, Jayson, told the crowd that accompanied them for the victim’s burial.

Gelo, a third-year human resource services student at Malabon City College, died on July 27 after contracting leptospirosis while looking for his father, who had gone missing last month and was later found detained at a police station for allegedly violating a decades-old gambling law.

He had been searching for his father amid heavy rains and floods, wading through waterlogged streets in Caloocan for three days after Jayson failed to return home to Malabon on July 22.

Soon after, Gelo developed a fever and body aches and told the church he would be unable to serve at upcoming Masses. He later suffered a heart attack caused by leptospirosis, an infection contracted through direct contact with urine or tissue of infected animals—usually rats. He was found dead by his 3-year-old sister.

Doctors said Gelo had a wound on his foot that developed into athlete’s foot (alipunga) after being exposed to floodwaters.

“On Sunday night, July 27, the young man who had been the pillar of hope for his family passed away. The cause: leptospirosis, a disease caused by rat urine in the dirty floodwaters he had waded through,” Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David said in his Mass, as he decried the circumstances of Gelo’s death.

The family later learned that Jayson had been arrested after allegedly playing kara y krus, a coin-toss betting game, in violation of Presidential Decree 1602, which penalizes illegal gambling.

“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,” David said.

“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.

According to David, Jayson was later found handcuffed at a police station in Caloocan City. He had been arrested without a warrant and, despite his pleas, the police allegedly refused to inform his family.

His bail, set at P30,000, was an “impossible amount” for the family, the cardinal said, forcing Gelo to brave floodwaters daily to bring food to his father.

Dion’s mother, Jennelyn, said that on July 25, Gelo finally found Jayson detained at the substation. She said they were not informed of his arrest.

Jayson, who was released on Aug. 2, denied playing the game. Jennelyn claimed he may have been a victim of “pangsakto,” the police’s alleged method of meeting arrest quotas.

"Tinago ka ng tatlong araw, hindi man lang pinakontak sa pamilya," she said. "Ang sabi niya pinapakontak naman daw sa pamilya, hindi naman kinukuha ang number."

However, Romel Caburog, acting chief of Caloocan Police’s investigation section, said Jayson immediately informed the arresting officer about contacting a loved one.

Caburog denied that the station hid Jayson or engaged in “pangsakto,” adding that the Caloocan City Police Station (CCPS) had nothing to do with Gelo’s death.

"Based on verified reports and timelines, the unfortunate death of the youth due to leptospirosis is not related to the arrest of the father. The health-related incident occurred under different circumstances that have no causal connection to the police operation," the CCPS said in a statement.

“On the issue of arrest notification, while we strive to uphold all procedures and respect the rights of every citizen, if there were lapses committed by any member of our personnel — particularly in informing relatives during the arrest — we encourage the filing of a formal complaint,” the statement said.

"Any allegation of misconduct will be thoroughly investigated, and necessary disciplinary actions will be taken as appropriate," it added.

The CCPS also clarified that bail is beyond its authority.

"The recommendation for bail and subsequent temporary release of the accused is solely within the jurisdiction of the Prosecutor's Office and the court. The Philippine National Police has no authority or influence over such judicial decisions," it said.

The CCPS said it remains committed to upholding the law and will continue to apprehend violators as required.

"We call on the public to remain discerning and responsible in sharing information online to avoid misinformation and unnecessary public alarm," it added.