Still no other names in VSMMC controversy?

Our dear friend Brother Stanley Villavicencio Cebu’s Apostle of the Divine Mercy texted me this reminder to all Divine Mercy Devotees to come and join the 13th Divine Mercy Convention at the University of Cebu Maritime Education and Training Center (METC), Tabada, Mambaling on May 3-4. I have joined this convention for many years and learned a lot about God’s Divine Mercy and Grace that has touched the lives of many ordinary people, who in turn come to the Divine Mercy Convention as a way of being a witness to God’s Divine Mercy. For the curious among us, registration is free, including free snacks and free Divine Mercy kits. Come and see for yourself as the life you may save may just be your own.

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It’s now exactly a week since the Department of Health (DOH) publicly identified the names of the doctors and nurses involved in the incident at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC). They are: Dr. Philips Leo Arias, head surgeon, Dr. Angelo Alinawagan, assistant surgeon, Dr. Max Joseph Montecillo who was assigned to the adjacent operating room, and two nursing attendants Rosemarie Villareal and circulating nurse Carmina Sapio. Strangely one week later, there’s been no other name that was released by VSMMC Chief Dr. Gerardo Aquino. But we know too well that there were more people inside that operating room as the video had shown.

I also know that some of the people who were not supposedly part of the operating team were also there in preparation for the worse case scenario where the possibility loomed that if Dr. Arias couldn’t extract the canister from the anus of the patient, then another team would have opened him up. That was very commendable of the surgical team to make such preparations.

But I still can’t understand why Dr. Aquino hasn’t revealed the names of the other people inside the OR. This only fuels the rumors that have been spreading around that one of those who where inside may be related to high ranking hospital officials or the DOH. We can only confirm this if and when the other names surface.

 Meanwhile Deputy Ombudsman Virginia Palanca Santiago reported that they are in their final stages on their report. Ma’am Virgie, this issue has nothing to do with the Office of the Ombudsman simply because it was not a case of graft and corruption. I would rather have the Ombudsman do follow-ups to their central office as to what happened to the many other scams that have plagued Metro Cebu, which until now the Office of the Ombudsman has done nothing!

So the question is, should we give the VSMMC Chief more time to secure the names of the other people who were in that OR during that operation? Time is running out. The truth has to come out. They should reveal the rest of the names as soon as possible, even if it means revealing friends or other relations.

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Congratulations are in order to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Carcar City Police Office, notably Police Chief Supt. Teofilo Siclot, SPO1 Meliton Agadier and Kenneth Abella for their ultra-quick response to a robbery-in-progress at the Rural Bank of Cebu South Inc. yesterday morning. We can only attribute the success of this encounter to very well-trained police officers, which also serves as a deterrent to future criminal acts. Surely future potential robbers wouldn’t dare plan a heist in a particular place if they have prior knowledge that the policemen assigned in that place are disciplined and a good shot!

This is especially true to SPOI Agadier who was given commendation by Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña for shooting and killing a robber in Barangay Tinago on Oct. 2006. We can only hope that more cops will undergo more rigorous training especially with the use of firearms so they would be able to hit their intended targets if they are forced into a firefight.

What’s further interesting in this case is that the dead bank robber Nelson Gutierrez Jr. including the wounded robber Ricoly Igoy came from Lapu-Lapu City, where a bank robbery also happened a few months ago. Could this be the same team that did that robbery? Meanwhile PNP criminal investigators have their work cut out for them to trace the ownership of the Green Lancer that Gutierrez used in the Carcar City heist.

I have my own suspicions that some robbers may be bankrolled by certain individuals who allow the use of their vehicles or guns for a certain percentage of the loot. But while the police has been successful in fighting petty criminals, I would love to see the day when the police will strike at the heart of the Chinese Mafia in Cebu who buys land cases, pays judges in perhaps the biggest con job for money that petty criminals could only dream of.