Health Secretary Francisco Duque III ordered the suspension of the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital chief administrative officer Rey Melchor Bryan Baylon for allegedly falsifying his daily time record, but it appears that the CLMMRH head has not been following the rules too.

Dr. Lydia Depra-Ramos, DOH regional director, said CLMMRH chief Domingo Vega has not been submitting his DTRs to her for signature although it is required of him.

It is now up to the Commission on Audit to explain why it has been allowing Vega to receive his salary with his DTRs not signed by her, she said. Duque had issued a 90-day preventive suspension on Baylon following the filing of a formal charge for alleged dishonesty in entries in his daily time records.

Baylon, who blew the whistle on corruption at the CLMMRH, especially on the alleged excessive purchase of oxygen, called the charge harassment.

He asked why if the preventive suspension had been issued against him by Duque on May 21, he was not informed on June 5 of the move but was stripped of some of his functions as chief administrative officer .

He also pointed out that on July 9 Duque even announced that he, Vega and Dr. Benito Bionat, CLMMRH chief of clinics, would be transferred to the DOH regional office in Cebu while a management team takes over the CLMMRH.

Why did Duque announce that I would be transferred if he had issued the suspension order on May 21 yet? Baylon asked.

BIONAT WANTS DUE PROCESS

Bionat said Duque cannot order his transfer to Cebu without due process. He will oppose an order of transfer if he is not accorded his rights, Bionat said.

The Civil Service Commission magna carta provides that a government employee can not be transferred without a preliminary investigation, Bionat said, and he has not been provided such process.

Bionat also said the DOH should provide him with specifics of alleged charges against him so that he can give intelligent answers in the counter affidavit asked of him.

Bionat maintained that he did not commit anything wrong as head of the hospital's Bids and Awards Committee in 2002, and has even been the one who raised concern over excessive purchases of oxygen and other problems at the hospital. He lamented that, instead of going after Vega, it appears that the DOH was going after those who had complained about problems at the hospital.

NOT CONSULTED

Depra-Ramos said that while the CLMMRH is under her jurisdiction as DOH regional director for Western Visayas, she was not consulted by the central office on the plan to transfer the CLMMRH officials and on the choice of the team to manage the hospital in their place.

I have not been remiss in reporting on the situation and anomalies at the CLMMRH for years, she said, adding that she is glad the central office is now acting on the concerns at the hospital.

However, she said she would have liked to have been consulted or informed of actions to be taken since the hospital is under her jurisdiction.

Depra-Ramos said she had also recommended numerous changes at the hospital some of which Vega had implemented.

The CLMMRH was already problematic when she became DOH regional director for Western Visayas in 1999, she said.

The problem there is not just a case of simple dishonesty, it is large scale dishonesty, she said.*CPG

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