Eversley union vs. two doctors

CEBU, Philippines – Members of the Eversley Child Sanitaruim Employees Union are asking the regional director of the Department of Health -7 to place under preventive suspension their Chief of Hospital and their Chief of Clinics following charges filed against them for alleged administrative offenses.

In their motion for the issuance of a preventive suspension order addressed to regional director of DOH-7 Dr. Susana Madarieta, they said that since her office has already issued formal charges against Chief of Hospital Dr. Primo Alves and Chief of Clinics Dr. Joanri Riveral, they want the two hospital chiefs placed under preventive suspension while the administrative cases against them are still pending.

They stated that since the respondents are holding vital positions at the Sanitarium, they believe that there might be a big possibility that they will use their positions to access official records which have been the subject of the investigation and might also influence the outcome of the ongoing investigation.

The Union members headed by president Nancy Sabuero said they are concerned about possible retaliatory actions considering that both respondents are their superiors.

Last March 17, formally charged by DOH-7 with grave misconduct, violation of reasonable office rules and regulations and inefficiency and incompetence in official duties and oppression was Alvez, while Riveral was charged with grave misconduct and oppression.

A formal charge of grave misconduct was filed against Alvez and Riveral as both have entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with 8990 Housing Development Corporation even if both of them knew that they have no such legal authority to enter into such agreement.

Madarieta reminded them that under the DOH Administrative Order No. 2006-0034 both of them should first ask prior authorization from the DOH regional director and the Secretary of Health.

She said that their acts were clearly manifested to violate the law as it was their legal obligation to ask prior permission from higher authorities but they failed to do so.

A violation of reasonable office rules and regulations was also charged against Alvez for allegedly contravening the directives from the higher authorities.

Another charge for inefficiency and incompetence in performance of official duties was also charged against Alvez because being chief of hospital he was allegedly inefficient and incompetent in implementing DOH memorandum No. 2005-0141.

Still another case of oppression was filed against Alvez and Riveral for alleged illegal, unreasonable discharge and dismissal of gratuity workers and ex-paratrooper janitorial services. –Flor Z. Perolina (The Freeman)