WVMC doc, staff face admin raps

ILOILO City – A string of administrative charges were filed against a doctor and three staff of Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) before the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday.

The charges, filed by Councilor Plaridel Nava, were gross neglect of duty, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of public service, and violation of Republic Act 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees).

The respondents were Dr. Ma. Cristina Woo, chief, medical professional staff; Ivy Huertas, administrative officer V; Michelle Villa, administrative officer III; and Mary Jane Sasana, administrative aide VI.

Nava asked the Ombudsman to place them under preventive suspension pending the outcome of the investigation.

He filed a separate complaint against Woo at the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) – Board of Medicine.

“I want her license cancelled,” said Nava.

According to the councilor, the respondents as state employees failed to perform their duties on March 25 when his wife Ma. Cecilia asked for the medical certificate of their injured 12-year-old son who was treated at WVMC.

Nava’s house in Oton, Iloilo was pelted with stones by rowdy youngsters around 2:30 a.m. on March 23. His son got hit on the head.

According to Nava, they requested for the medical certificate as early as March 23 because they needed it for the complaint to be filed in court against the stone throwers, some of whom were subsequently arrested and detained by the Oton police.

The medical certificate was released on March 25 but only after his wife was made to wait for from 8 a.m. to 12:12 p.m. and that they required to submit a letter request from the police.

Nava said time was of the essence that day because the medical certificate was needed for the filing of charges against the youngsters who attacked their house but the hospital won’t release it without the letter request from the Oton police.

It was “hospital policy”, Nava said they were told.

A lawyer, Nava believed the withholding of the medical certificate was illegal, baseless and unfounded.

“Any policy can be changed depending on circumstances. Ti hustisya ang ginapangayo ko para sa bata ko. Pwede mo na ‘ya malubag ang policy. Kagamay nga bagay, pabudlayan pa ako. Kon ako konsehal-abogado pabudlayan mo ko, how much more ang ordinary citizens,” Nava lamented.

That day, according to the councilor, they must file the complaint against the youngsters before their detention period wound end at 12 noon, or those suspects would be released.

Nava said he pleaded for the release of his son’s medical certificate but the respondents would not budge.

“They could not understand the urgency of the situation and the repercussion of the non-release of the medical certificate,” said Nava.

The “arrogant attitude and misdemeanor” of the respondents “ran counter to the norms of conduct of public officials and employees as enshrined in Section 4 of Republic Act 6713,” Nava stated in his Ombudsman complaint.

Nava admitted having an outburst at WVMC but said, “Nobody can blame me because ang involved dira ang akon nga bata nga minor and he is a victim.”

The respondents had Nava blottered at the Mandurriao police station in the afternoon of March 25 for alarm and scandal and oral defamation.

They complained that Nava “created scandalous acts by shouting on a very loud and angry voice, ‘Amo ‘ni ang pinakalawlaw nga ospital. Andam lang kamo kung makagwa ang arestado.’”

They further quoted Nava as saying, “Shit, shit, shit, may ginalagas nga oras asta alas dose. Kun makagwa ang akusaod, paano ang bata ko?” and “Lawlaw, wala pulos nga ospital. Bullshit, ano mga ngalan ninyo? Ipa-Ombudsman ko kamo.”

He also allegedly shouted at Sasana, “Naga-video ka? Akusar ta ka da Data Privacy Act. Wala ka kilala sa akon? Ako si Atty. Plaridel Nava.”/PN