BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
ILOILO City – The Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 has created a fact-finding committee to investigate the chief of the Western Visayas Sanitarium in Barangay Inangayan, Santa Barbara, Iloilo for alleged abuse of authority, harassment and oppression.
“I gave the fact-finding team 30 days to finish their work,” said Dr. Marlyn Convocar, director of DOH Region 6.
Four permanent employees of the hospital complained against Dr. Annabelle De Guzman.
Convocar said a legal officer from DOH’s central office will come over next week to lead the probe.
A member of the fact-finding team, Diomedes Punzalan said they have already summoned the concerned persons to give their statements.
In a joint complaint, Elbert Consemino, OIC cashier; Conrado Sorongon Jr., accountant II; Maribel Buenaflor, administrative aide III; and Gervill Guartero, administrative aide VI, urged Convocar to take “appropriate actions” against De Guzman.
Sorongon claimed “majority of the procurement in the hospital is not done through competitive bidding.”
He also accused De Guzman of “ordering the issuance of check even without my signature bearing in the face of the voucher.”
For his part, Consemino claimed to have been coerced to issue a check without the proper signatories, sign a document “against my will to put down my co-employees” and issue cash “in spite of my repeated advice that it is contrary to established accounting policies.”
He also claimed to have been instructed to alter a Special Allotment Release Order intended for the renovation of the TB Dots Building.
Meanwhile, Buenaflor and Guartero alleged they were frequently maligned during staff meetings, flag ceremonies and flag retreats.
They also questioned their frequent reassignments to various sections/units of the hospital.
Panay News tried to reach De Guzman to get her side but to no avail./PN
