Top UP exec: PGH head's reinstatement 'irregular, premature'

The University of the Philippines' top administration lawyer on Tuesday criticized a Quezon City court's order reinstating Jose Gonzales as director of the Philippine General Hospital, the largest charity hospital that is also supervised by the state university. UP vice president for legal affairs Theodore Te said the order was "irregular and premature" because it was issued by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 84 pairing judge Maria Filomena Singh a day after the main judge, Luisito Cortez, took a leave of absence. Last December 23, Singh granted Gonzales' petition for preliminary injunction that will reinstate the latter as PGH director. Singh's order likewise restrained incumbent PGH director Rolando Enrique Domingo from performing his functions as the hospital's head. (See: QC court reinstates ousted PGH director) The directorship of the PGH has been under legal question for over a year now due to a series of controversial decisions by the UP Board of Regents (BOR) on who was to assume the post. Gonzales later filed a court case questioning the UP BOR decisions. Te: Questionable process On Tuesday, Te said Singh's injunction order was suspect because QC-RTC Branch 84 is yet to hear the merits of the PGH directorship row. "There is yet no trial on the merits of this issue so [the] injunction putting Gonzales as director is irregular and premature," the UP vice president said in a text message. "There appears to be something questionable about the process," he added in a separate phone interview. Te also noted that the respondents to the case — Domingo and UP president Emerlinda Roman — have yet to receive copies of the decision while Gonzales already received his copy last December 23. "None of the respondents have been served copies of the order but petitioner Gonzales has, for reasons I don't know," Te said. GMANews.TV tried to contact Gonzales and Singh, but they could not be reached for their comments as of posting time. Prejudged? Te added that Singh's decision prejudges the case, which will then be focused on who among Gonzales and Domingo is the legitimate PGH director. This is because Singh also ordered the UP BOR — the highest governing body of the UP system, which supervises the hospital — to recognize Gonzales' original appointment. The court said Gonzales will be considered as the legitimate PGH director pending final decision on the case he filed against UP for replacing him. Te said the BOR will study its next move after it receives copies of the court order. Leadership row On December 18 last year, the UP BOR, voting 6-5, chose Gonzales to replace Dr. Carmelo Alfiler as PGH director. The 61-year-old Gonzales was supposed to have been sworn into office on January 4 this year, but outgoing UP president Emerlinda Roman postponed his oath-taking and then appointed UP Manila Chancellor Ramos Arcadio as PGH officer-in-charge. UP then declared the position vacant. On February 25, the BOR did a second round of voting for the PGH directorship, in which the 41-year-old Domingo emerged as winner. Gonzales subsequently protested this before the Quezon City court. In March this year, some 63 doctors took a mass leave protesting Gonzales' removal from office. (See: PGH to remain open despite mass leave of doctors) The PGH, located within the UP Manila campus, employs around 650 common faculty members, 100 medical specialists, 260 medical interns, and 1,400 nursing staff, among others.—JV, GMANews.TV