Former Akld Filipino priest dies

A priest of the Mission Society of the Philippines, who was planning to return to New Zealand, has died at age 58 of a suspected heart attack, while being positive for Covid-19.

Fr Manuel (Mawe) Jadraque, MSP, who had been Filipino chaplain in Auckland in the 1990s, and who served at Remuera and Ellerslie (the latter as parish priest), before returning home, collapsed in the Manila
suburb of Kalookan in the Philippines on July 24.

Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan said in a Facebook post that Fr Jadraque took a “tricycle” from Monumento to San Roque Cathedral, but was found unresponsive when he arrived. He was clutching in his
hand a 50 peso bill, which was to be used to pay the tricycle driver. He was rushed to a medical centre, but was pronounced dead on arrival.

A post-mortem swab requested by the bishop revealed that Fr Jadraque was positive for Covid-19. He had been fully vaccinated with the Sinovac vaccine. It is not known if the heart attack and the Covid-19 infection were in any way related, the bishop stated. There have reportedly been deaths of other priests in the Philippines from Covid 19-related heart attacks.

UCA News reported that the test result for Fr Jadraque prompted health authorities to shut down San Roque Cathedral temporarily as a precaution.

Sinovac is by far the most widely used vaccine in the Philippines with almost 6.5 million doses donated by the Chinese government, the UCA News report stated.

Of the vaccines available, it has been reported as having the lowest efficacy rate at only 56-65 per cent, and questions have been asked over its ability to ward off Covid variants, the report added.

Bishop David said there was no autopsy done on Fr Jadraque’s body as it had to be cremated within 24 hours of his positive Covid test becoming known, according to health protocols, UCA News reported.

Fr Jadraque was elected Father Moderator of the Mission Society of the Philippines in 1999, which saw him return to his homeland from Auckland. He had also been a seminary rector, and is known to have had a significant influence on many vocations.

He was scheduled to return to Auckland earlier this year, to fill the gap left after Fr Richard Cortes, MSP, moved to Gisborne, and Fr Jadraque was awaiting the re-opening of the New Zealand border.