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PGH staff, patients protest ouster of appointed director


Medical workers and patients picketed the Philippine General Hospital early Monday morning over the ouster of its duly appointed director. The picket worried the Department of Health, which said the controversy may disrupt health services of the PGH, even as the agency admits the hospital is not under its jurisdiction. "Kami ay nalulungkot sa nangyayari doon. ‘Di namin sila parte, partner namin sila. Magkakaroon ng interruption sa health services. Sana maresolba na ito (We are saddened over what is happening. The PGH is not our attached agency but our partner. We fear there may be interruptions in health services and we hope this can be resolved soon)," Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said in an interview on dwIZ radio. "Kung kailangan na arbitration or negotiation para magkasundo, handang-handa kaming sumali (If they need arbitration or negotiation to come to an agreement, we are more than ready to chip in)," Cabral added. The protesters staged the picket after learning that appointed director Dr. Jose Gonzales has been replaced with Dr. Rolando Enrique Domingo by the Board of Regents (BOR), the highest governing body of the UP which supervises the hospital. The protesters, which included UP faculty, students, and staff and patients of the PGH, carried streamers and placards questioning the actions of the BOR, Radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported. Original appointment of Gonzales The directorship of the PGH, dubbed the country’s largest charity hospital, has been the subject of a long-standing controversy over the appointment of the charity hospital’s director. Earlier, the 11-member BOR had appointed Gonzales to replace director Dr. Carmelo Alfiler in a vote of 6-5 on January 29. Domingo was the third nominee. (See: Directorship row paralyzing UP PGH) Faculty Regent Judy Taguiwalo, however, said “some very powerful people are intent on preventing Dr. Gonzales’ installation as PGH director." In an article posted on the university's Website, UP officials explained that Gonzales’ replacement was in the light of a Malacañang-appointed regent’s protest questioning the validity of the student regent’s “decisive" vote in favor of Gonzales. Regent Abraham Sarmiento said Student Regent Charisse Bañez is unqualified for her position as she was neither on leave of absence from or residency in the university, and as such should not be considered a student. The UP administration ruled on January 29 that Bañez is not a bona fide student of UP and thus not qualified to serve as the Student Regent. Bañez filed a temporary restraining order against the decision to unseat her, which was subsequently denied by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court on “lack of legal and factual basis". On its February 25 meeting, the BOR voted again for the appointment of a new PGH director, with Domingo getting 6 votes and three regents abstaining. Domingo did not receive a single vote when the BOR first voted on January 29. ‘Gonzales can’t be removed except for cause’ In her report, however, Taguiwalo said she objected to the second round of voting, saying the board cannot remove an official who has taken his oath of office except for cause. Taguiwalo also questioned the legitimacy of the three Malacañang-appointed regents in the BOR, saying their appointments are only for one year and have already expired. “[I am] sad and mad that people like Dr. Jose Gonzales, a recognized surgeon who has served the university and PGH for a long time, has to undergo this tribulation, this humiliation, this treatment for the simple reason that the [administration of UP President Emerlinda Roman] and Malacañang do not consider him one of their own," Taguiwalo said in a speech read at the picket. Laban UP-PGH Movement, an alliance of hospital staff and UP employees, also accused the BOR of “grave abuse of power". “[The BOR should] respect the civil service law protecting the tenure of all government employees including the Director of UP-PGH. The arbitrary attempt to remove and replace Director Gonzales under suspicious and extra-ordinary circumstances is unjust, oppressive, illegal and immoral," the group said in a statement. Domingo took his oath on February 26. Gonzales’ lawyer meanwhile has sent the UP administration a letter stating a legal case will be filed against the university for declaring vacant a position filled by a qualified person and appointing another person to the same position. Dr. Ramon Arcadio, Chancellor of UP Manila was quoted in the article on the UP Website that the BOR resolution appointing Domingo is executory, but that he recognizes the right of Dr. Gonzales to appeal or protest.—JMA/JV, GMANews.TV

Tags: uppgh, protest
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