An official of the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City, who has raised concern over alleged anomalies at the hospital, is protesting his relief from certain duties and responsibilities.

Bryan Baylon, CLMMRH chief administrative officer, yesterday said that, if he does not get an adequate clarification from Dr. Domingo Vega, CLMMRH chief, he will take legal action against him.

Baylon said he sees Vega's order as nothing but retaliation for his strict performance of his official and legal duties, particularly in safeguarding and dispensing of public funds from anomalous transactions with favored suppliers and some syndicate hospital personnel.

Baylon said Vega's action constitutes abuse of discretion and authority, oppression, violation of anti graft and corrupt practices and violation of the penal provision of RA 9184 on collusion between suppliers and hospital personnel, "all meant to stifle my honest efforts to help straighten hospital procurement transactions".

Vega could not be reached for comment last night .

In a memorandum to Baylon, dated June 15, Vega said that, based on Memorandum 2007-010 dated June 5, 2007 issued by Assistant Secretary of Health David Lozada Jr. he is relieved of certain duties and responsibilities, citing human resource and financial transactions.

But all Baylon's other duties and responsibilities as chief administrative officer will, in the meantime, continue to be in force and effect, Vega said.

Lozada's memorandum said "In order to obviate further prejudice to the service in your hospital, considering that a formal complaint against your chief A.O. has been referred to the DOH Central Office, please be advised to issue a hospital order relieving Mr. Baylon from certain functions pertaining to his position which in your sound discretion are not effectively and efficiently being performed by Mr. Baylon."

Vega had earlier said Baylon was going after him because of a pending case against him. Baylon said Vega brags about his facing a formal complain from "unified suppliers" for allegedly unreasonably delaying the processing of vouchers.

He also said that, unless Vega immediately furnishes him with a copy of such formal complaint outlining the details of his so called unreasonable delays that the chief of hospital apparently fed to the central office and was the basis for Lozada's memorandum, it is similar to a previous anonymous complaint that is part of a demolition campaign of certain syndicate suppliers and some hospital personnel.

Baylon, in his letter seeking clarification and protest addressed to Vega, said his memorandum relieving him of "certain duties and responsibilities" was issued barely five days after he came out in the public to report irregularities in the procurement of medical oxygen and compressed air involving Vega, as chief of hospital.

He said he finds the haste in which the memorandum was issued "malicious." Baylon said Vega's memorandum is tantamount to stripping him of all his official and vital duties and leaving him with ministerial functions rendering him practically suspended, and disregards his rights to due process accorded by the Civil Service Commission rules and the Constitution.

He asked Vega to convene a general staff meeting to be facilitated by a panel of independent figures from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the media and the church, where issues can be answered to prevent whitewashing by some agency officials in cahoots with the culprits.

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Gabriela, the Alliance of Health Workers and Courage Negros are calling for an impartial investigation of the alleged mismanagement and corruption issues, and the deteriorating state of the delivery of services at the CLMMRH, Bayan secretary general Felipe Levy Gelle Jr. said yesterday.

It is the people of Negros who are at the losing end in the sorry state of the hospital and state of health services, Gelle said.

Baylon yesterday also furnished the media with copies of letters from doctors and staff of the CLMMRH complaining of low quality items being purchased that were affecting the delivery of their services to patients. One such complaint dated June 30, 2006 cited a change in a sterilizing agent that may have compromised the safety of patients.*CPG

back to top