Eversley union pushes hearing against 2 docs

CEBU, Philippines – The Eversley Childs Sanitarium Employees Union (ECSEU) has filed two urgent motions with the Department of Health - Center for Health Development - Region 7 (DOH-CHD-7) seeking to hasten the hearing of its case against the Sanitarium's chief Dr. Primo Joel S.Alvez and Dr. Joanri T. Riveral.

The union, in a statement furnished The FREEMAN, is asking for the preventive suspension of Dr. Alvez and Dr. Riveral for alleged grave misconduct, violation of reasonable office rules and regulations, inefficiency and incompetence in the performance of official duties, and oppression.

ECS Employees Union legal counsel Atty. Elmer P. Pacayra submitted last August 26, 2010 an urgent motion for the early resolution of the pending motion for the imposition of preventive suspension on Dr. Alvez and Dr. Riveral. Another motion submitted was for the immediate hearing and resolution of the cases.

The union said in a press statement that since the jurisdiction of the case against Dr. Alvez and Dr. Riveral is not in the DOH-Central Office but in the DOH-CHD-7, proceedings should ensue immediately. 

On March 17, 2010, DOH-CHD-7 director Dr. Susana K. Madarieta filed administrative charges against the two doctors for grave misconduct and other offenses.   

On April 14, 2010, the ECSEU filed a motion for the issuance of a preventive suspension order against Dr. Alvez and Dr. Riveral with the office of Dr. Madarieta. 

However, the hearing against the two doctors could not proceed after April 30, 2010, when DOH Undersecretary Dr. David J. Lozada Jr. issued a memorandum to the DOH -CHD-7, directing it to transmit all pertinent documents to his office for proper turnover to the DOH-Integrity Development Committee. 

In compliance with Dr. Lozada's memo, the DOH-CHD-7 endorsed and forwarded the cases on May 11, 2010, to the Field Implementation Management Office, DOH through Dr. Lozada for disposition and handling of the cases.

Dr. Lozada met with the different parties concerned on July 30 in the DOH regional office to settle the dispute but result was not favorable to the union.

The union explained that per official August 4, 2010 letter of Atty. Ronald R. De Veyra, Director III of the Legal Office of the DOH-Central Office to Assistant Secretary of Health Dr. Paulyn Jean B. Rosell-Ubial, Chairperson of the Integrity Development Committee, it is the DOH-CHD-7 which has the jurisdiction of the case according to DOH Administrative Order No. 2009-0019 regarding the Procedure on Handling Complaints in the Department of Health.

Thus, the hearing of the case should be conducted by the DOH-CHD-7.

The union deplored the delay of the DOH in acting on the administrative case against Dr. Alvez and Dr. Riveral. 

It also decried Dr. Lozada for not complying with Administrative Order no. 2009-0019 when he ordered the DOH regional office to transfer the case to his office for action.

"Certainly, Dr. Lozada is not ignorant of his own department's administrative orders. If he knew all along that it is the DOH regional office which has jurisdiction of the case based on AO no. 2009 - 0019, why did he intentionally let the case be transferred to his office?" union president Nancy Sabuero said. (FREEMAN)