WHAT IS 'BANGUNGOT'?

 By Ba Ipe

THE middleman named by the alleged gunman of Percy Lapid was said to have died of “bangungot” in the afternoon of Oct. 18 (or Oct. 13?). Bangungot is officially called “sudden unexplained nocturnal death,” or SUNDs. As its name implies, the deaths happen in the evening. It is unexplained because it could not be ascribed to specific causes. In 1992, I went to the U.S. to attend a conference in one of the islands that composed the state of Hawaii. It was a tiring trip and conference, but the positive side was that I happened to read a scientific paper of the University of Hawaii in Honolulu that explained SUNDs.

According to the paper, SUNDs happen to the young people in Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Victims are usually male, aged 15-30 years, and they die while sleeping. According to the paper, the study further delved into the reasons why SUNDs happened to certain cases. It found out that the common denominator was the victims’ diet comprising of heavy intake of salt and fats. It found out that fish sauce, or “patis,” was the culprit. Patis has certain enzymes that cause the short circuiting of the heart’s impulses leading to heart attacks among its victims. In countries that heavily consume soy sauce instead of fish sauce like Japan, Korea, and China, SUNDs hardly happen.

By inference, the middleman, Crisanto Villamor, 42, could not have died of SUNDs because his death happened in 2 or 3 pm. There could be another reason for his sudden death but certainly not bangungot, which happens in the deep of the night. This is a case worth investigating and top PNP officials involved in the case should look carefully into the case. Incoming Bucor chief Greg Catapang can provide the healthy environment for the proper probe. Outgoing Bucor chief Gerald Bantag and his men deserve inclusion in the probe to explain their side why the sudden death of the middleman occurred while they were in office.