The doctors at the local hospital declared her dead. The local Manila authority issued her death certificate.

The story later served as a backbone to the book 'Playing Dead: A Journey Through the World of Death Fraud,' written by the same person who was pronounced dead, the Elizabeth Greenwood. In reality, the author was investigating the Philippines fake death mafia. In an interview to the Telegraph, she admitted that the idea arrived in her when she was fancying how it would be to circumvent her massive student debt.

Greenwood's research found that people wanting to run away from debts or personal responsibilities have gone to the lengths of faking their deaths. There is a whole industry ready with their "death kits," in which people can hire doctors, administrators, and witnesses for as little as $100. Philippines and India are among the most sought-after countries to get a 'fake real death certificate' easily.