MANILA, Philippines – The family of Winston Ragos, the former Army soldier shot dead by a cop for allegedly threatening the life of law enforcers during the lockdown, is being asked by the Commonwealth Hospital Medical Center, where he died, to pay P31,890.

This was disclosed to Rappler by Ragos’ family on Thursdsay, April 23, saying that they had to give the motorcycle of Winston as collateral so he could be buried.

“This is added burden, but I tell myself that my priority now is to fix Winston’s papers,” Winston’s mother Merlyn told Rappler in Filipino during a phone interview.

Merlyn is in the process of gathering documents for Winston’s burial, as his personal documents were lost during the havoc caused by Typhoon Tisoy (Kammuri) in December 2019.

The bill included compounds injected into Winston, the use of hospital equipment, the ambulance, and cadaver bags. They were also charged for the hospital’s use of N95 masks.

This is only the hospital bill. Merlyn and the Ragos family still do not know how much more debt they have to incur to give Winston a proper burial.

Merlyn worked as a beautician offering home services before the lockdown. She is now among the millions of Filipinos who could not earn a living in the country’s attempt to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Asked if she has solicited from politicians and the government, she said: “Hindi rin naman ako humihingi kasi ayaw ko rin gamitin ang anak ko para ipanghihngi. Buhay po niya ang kailangan ko (I don’t want to ask for money because I don’t want to use my son to solicit. His life is what I need).” – Rappler.com