The 33-year-old woman who died while waiting for a bus in Pasay City and to go home to Bicol to be with her four children initially tested positive for COVID-19, reports said.
Vonne Aquino reported on GMA News “24 Oras” on Wednesday that the swab or confirmatory test for Michelle Silvertino is still pending.
Silvertino was buried immediately after her sister Josie gave consent.
Silvertino allegedly waited for five days on a pedestrian overpass in Pasay City for a bus to ride but fell ill until she was found unconscious and died on Friday.
“Naka-schedule siya ng June 6. Pauwi na talaga e, kaya lang no’ng June 5 gano’n na nga ang nangyari sa kaniya,” said Pasay Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano.
(She was scheduled on June 6. She was about to go home, but the unfortunate event happened on June 5.)
“Pumayag ‘yung kapatid niya, si Josie Silvertino, ang sabi ilibing na lang,” the mayor added.
(Her sister Josie Silvertino agreed to bury her here.)
Also read: Woman dies waiting for bus trip in Pasay City, possibly died of COVID-19
It was in January when the children aged three to 11 last saw their mother. Since her husband left them, Silvertino’s brother Mario took care of her children.
“No choice na po kasi kami no’n e. Hindi na siya tinanggap sa cremation kasi po mabaho na nga siya saka bloated na siya. Hindi ko po talaga siya mapuntahan kasi nga po sabi kukuha pa raw po ng travel pass bago makalabas ng Maynila,” said Josie.
(We had no choice at that time. The crematorium did not accept her because she was already bloated and in the decomposition stage. I was not able to go to her because they said I have to get travel pass before I could go outside Manila.)
“Ang gusto ng mama ko, ipa-autopsy daw po kaya humihingi ng tulong si mama kasi gusto niya malaman ‘yung tunay na nangyari,” Mario said.
(My mother wanted an autopsy, so we are asking for help so we could know what happened to her.)
According to a Pasay City Police report, it was early June 5 when a concerned citizen found Silvertino struggling to breathe and had a fever. The police report added that the concerned citizen first reached out to Barangay 159, but they declined to respond.
Silvertino was unconscious when police arrived who took her to the hospital where she later died.