Cainta health officer faces complaint

The town hall of Cainta town in eastern Rizal province is talking about a complaint filed against the municipal health officer by the town’s former tax information officer and consultant.

Dr. Olga Alegre Abellanosa, the Cainta municipal health officer, and three other doctors of Cainta’s Health Center, are named in the complaint filed with the Civil Service Commission (CSC).

The case has come to involve the Department of Justice, which had to make a ruling on whether recording with a cell phone a speech delivered at a staff meeting violates the Anti-Wiretapping Act. The Justice department ruled that it does not.

A group of 13 doctors and health-work professionals employed by the Cainta Municipal Health Office signed a joint affidavit authenticating the cell phone recording of the talk Dr. Alegre Abellanosa gave her assembled subordinates at a staff meeting called by the municipal health officer.

In the recorded talk, Dr. Alegre Abellanos was heard:

*scolding some of her underlings in unpleasant language;
*speaking about having relations with men and asking who among the women in attendance did not have such relations;
*admitting that she has committed petty graft (kurakot) and berating her subalterns with whom she said she shared the fruits of her kurakot;
*admitting her business relations with a Korean firm;
*threatening to fight to the death (patayan) and talking about liquidating those whom she thought had maligned her, and
*speaking abusively to some of the staff present.

The complainant is Rosalina Alano, the former tax information officer of Cainta and consultant.

Her complaint, filed June 6, 2008, alleges falsification of public documents, grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and violations of Republic Act 6713—the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees of the Government—against Dr. Alegre Abellanosa, Dr. Yolanda Orlina, Dr. Gliceria Ramirez and Dr. Dennis Jose Torres.

For “insufficiency of evidence,” CSC’s Regional Office No. 4 on November 11, 2009 dismissed the complaint against Dr. Orlina.

For “lack of jurisdiction”—because they had resigned their positions—the Civil Service Commission dismissed the complaint against Dr. Ramirez and Dr. Torres.

The same CSC decision said, “Dr. Olga Alegre Abellanosa shall be issued a Formal Charge for Discourtesy in the Course of Official Duties.”

On November 25, 2009, Alano filed a petition for review with CSC Regional Office No. 4.

Her petition citied as issues to be resolved:

1.Whether CSC Regional Office No. 4 erred in dismissing the complaint against Dr. Ramirez and Dr. Torres on the ground of lack of jurisdiction because they had resigned. Alano pointed out relevant provisions of the law and the rule that the CSC is not automatically divested of jurisdiction because of an employee’s resignation.

2.Whether CSC Region IV erred in dismissing Dr. Orlina for insufficiency of evidence.

Alano presented a summary of the evidence she had offered and argued that certifications made by barangay (village) officials proving Alano’s claims of falsification of DTR (daily time record) should not be given much weight since the doctors did not report to these officials.

3.Whether CSC Region IV erred in finding a prima facie case against Dr. Alegre-Abellanosa only for a light offense. Alano argued, citing the various pieces of evidence she submitted, that Cainta’s municipal health officer should be sanctioned for graver offenses. –Banagbanag G. Kijano, Manila Times