Sexed-up doc

THE board of the Philippine Hospital Association took the unprecedented task of suspending for two years its immediate past president for having allegedly sexually harassed two association employees.

Dr. Tiburcio Macias, who was also PHA president from 2001-2006, failed to finish his term, which was supposed to have ended this month, after he was placed under preventive suspension on Oct. 9.

The association has refused to publicly discuss the so-called “bathroom scandal,” where Macias was supposed to have lured a female employee into his room while he was taking a bath during a conference in Cebu last April.

That employee, who said she managed to run out of Macias’ room in Parklane hotel despite the attempt of her boss to pin her down to the bed, later filed a complaint with the board, along with another female employee who claimed she received dirty calls from Macias.

Macias, chief of Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Hospital, not only vehemently denied the accusations, but proceeded to file a libel complaint against his accusers.

In the end, the PHA board, led by new president Ruben Flores, the chief of Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, believed the two female employees and sacked Macias.

Money-go-round

• The Center for Global Best Practices may need to brush up on spelling before it invites the public to its Dec. 3 and 4 “Multi-Generation Estate and Succession Planning” at the Peninsula Manila.

In an advertisement placed with the Business World Monday, the conference planner quoted a line on business management from “Warren Buffet,” apparently thinking of the all-you-can-eat offering at the hotel, and not necessarily about the world’s most famous investor.

• Elpi Cuna, the longtime and recently retired PR chief of Manila Electric Co., now sits as an equal of his former boss Manuel Lopez as a fellow director in the company. Cuna represents the San Miguel group, apparently on account of his friendship with San Miguel chairman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr.

Heard through the grapevine

The National Bureau of Investigation has not closed its investigation into the $138-million Performance Investment Products Ponzi scam that victimized the A and B crowd of Makati in 2007.

An alleged PIPC sub-dealer, finance guy and marathon man Harvie de Baron, is being summoned to appear before the NBI on Friday morning. –Victor C. Agustin, Manila Standard Today

(Web site: www.cocktales.ph; e-mail: cocktales_mst@yahoo.com)