ILOILO City – The Department of Health (DOH) has withdrawn its order reassigning Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) chief Dr. Joseph Dean Nicolo to Zamboanga City’s Labuan General Hospital following mounting opposition and denials from Iloilo’s lady lawmakers that they had anything to do with the controversial move.
According to Cong. Janette Garin, Iloilo’s 1st District representative and former DOH secretary, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa confirmed to her that the personnel order had indeed been issued but was later recalled.
“There must always be a valid reason for a reassignment. If there are corruption allegations, these should first undergo investigation,” Garin stressed, adding that many WVMC employees were shocked by the order since Nicolo was widely regarded as one of the hospital’s best-performing chiefs.
The transfer order stirred uproar among WVMC employees, who suspected it was politically motivated and linked to Nicolo’s refusal to be involved in alleged attempts at questionable dealings with contractors of major hospital projects. They claimed that an unnamed “lady public official” demanded P8 million from the P350-million Cancer Center Building Project and P45 million from the P450-million Heart and Lung Building Project using Nicolo’s name. Nicolo, supposedly upon learning of the alleged solicitations, told contractors he never asked for any commission.
As the controversy swirled, Iloilo’s women legislators one by one issued strong denials of any role in the attempted transfer.
Garin herself clarified: “Wala ako sina nagapasilabot kon sin-o ang madaog nga contractor, it is the decision of the hospital. Definitely, wala kami ya gapangayo-ngayo kon ano ridyan. Kag indi man ako, wala man ako nag-facilitate kang pagpahalin kay Dr. Nicolo.”
Second District’s Cong. Kathy Gorriceta was blunt: “Indi ako na ya. Period.”
Fifth District’s Cong. Binky Tupas also distanced herself, saying: “Wala gid ako ideya kon ano ang isyu.”
Iloilo City Lone District’s Cong. Julienne Baronda was more scathing, calling the accusations “troll-fed fake news.” She declared: “Wala ako dira kahilabtanan sa pagpasaylo. Internal matter ina sang DOH kag WVMC.”
She added: “Ang ginapalapta sang trolls nila nga isyu kontra sa akon kaladlawan ina. Ano kuno, nangayo ako kickback para kay Dr. Nicolo? That’s absurd. Kabutigan gid ina. Total lie. Maayo sina pamangkuton niyo ang mga contractors nga gin-mention sang trolls. Nakatutok ako ya diri subong sa mga obra sa Kamara. Wala ako ya sang oras sa pamolitika.”
The uproar reached the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, where Provincial Board member Rolando Distura urged the DOH to respect the Magna Carta for Public Health Workers and consider Nicolo’s contributions before making such drastic personnel actions.
Nicolo, who has served WVMC for over 15 years, led the hospital to multiple national recognitions, including the DOH’s Gold Trailblazer Award and pioneering the region’s first awake craniotomy.
Hospital staff warned that his reassignment could derail ongoing reforms and medical milestones at WVMC.
Meanwhile, the WVMC management issued a statement acknowledging the confusion brought by the reported reassignment, which was initially posted on the DOH intranet on September 10 but taken down the following day.
The statement stressed that they are coordinating with appropriate authorities to verify the status of Nicolo’s transfer.
It also reminded employees to avoid engaging in unverified speculation, particularly on social media, and to let the proper authorities handle the allegations of kickbacks.
“We emphasize that any personal opinions or statements made by individual staff members — whether online or offline — do not represent the official position of the hospital management,” the advisory said.
The WVMC management urged everyone to remain calm, professional, and focused on the hospital’s mission of delivering uninterrupted quality healthcare services as they await official clarification.
As of press time, Dr. Nicolo remains as WVMC chief following the rescinding of the transfer order, though no formal written directive has been released to confirm the recall./PN
