ILOILO City – The Department of Health (DOH) Central Office has confirmed that Dr. Joseph Dean Nicolo remains the chief of the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC), even as allegations of corruption and a contentious proposal to reassign him continue to stir tension within the hospital.
“Dr. Joseph Dean L. Nicolo remains to be the Medical Center Chief of the DOH Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC),” Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said in a statement, emphasizing that due process must be observed.
“The DOH central office recently received reports of multiple cases filed against Dr. Nicolo before the Ombudsman and the Civil Service Commission (CSC). We are now following established procedures in handling the situation of Dr. Nicolo, so that all may proceed according to the requirements of due process,” stressed Domingo.
The clarification came after a “lady official” allegedly sought Nicolo’s transfer to Zamboanga City, an allegation that Iloilo’s women legislators quickly denied.
The issue gained traction after reports surfaced linking the transfer to Nicolo’s refusal to participate in supposed kickback schemes involving two major hospital projects: P8 million from the P350-million Cancer Center Building Project and P45 million from the P450-million Heart and Lung Building Project.
WVMC employees, angered by the transfer order, believed the move was politically motivated and tied to Nicolo’s uncompromising stance against corruption.
Nicolo himself reportedly told contractors he had “never solicited any form of commission or payment” in connection with the projects.
Nicolo, who has served the WVMC for more than 15 years, has steered the hospital toward national recognition, including the DOH’s Gold Trailblazer Award and the region’s first awake craniotomy.
Despite the ongoing investigations, the DOH assured the public that all proceedings would strictly follow established legal protocols, vowing fairness and transparency in addressing the controversies hounding the WVMC chief./PN
