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Thursday, October 26, 2017
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SANTA BARBARA, Iloilo – The No. 2 official of the Western Visayas Sanitarium (WVS) here believes that the ousted secretary of the Department of Health, the regional director and the OIC-medical center chief of WVS had conspired to suspend and unseat him.
Conrado Sorongon Jr., WVS administrator and head of the Hospital Operation Patient Support Services (HOPSS), pointed to his immediate superior, OIC-medical center chief Dr. Gary Ong, as the man behind the alleged Aug. 23, 2017 order of then Secretary Paulyn Ubial preventively suspending him for 90 days.
The suspension order, coursed through Regional Director Marlyn Convocar, cited an alleged June 14, 2017 letter from the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to Dr. Ong reminding the latter to implement the 90-day preventive suspension of Sorongon on the pretext that his appeal for reconsideration had been dismissed.
“The June 14 letter from the CSC does not exist,” Sorongon stressed while showing Panay News a copy of a CSC certification signed by Ma. Dolores Azis, Records Division chief.
The certification partly stated, “This is to certify that the Office for Legal Affairs, records section, has no record of the alleged letter dated June 14, 2017 addressed to Dr. Gary Ong.”
In another memorandum dated Oct. 18, 2017, Convocar again reminded Dr. Ong to suspend Sorongon.
“Convocar as regional director,” Sorongon stressed, “is not supposed to interfere with an autonomous hospital like WVS. She is not authorized to hire, fire or discipline our personnel.”
Sorongon has since then resisted complying with the order because he had already served the 90-day suspension sought for in 2014 yet on the flimsy charge that he had taken out of hospital premises certain documents such as bank books, bank statements, cash advance and liquidation reports. At that time, he was WVS’ accountant who thought it was all right to bring and finish unfinished work at home. In September 2015, he appealed the decision before the Civil Service Commission but it was not acted upon while he was serving his suspension.
“They want me out because I would not tolerate illegal practices,” said Sorongon.
On Oct. 3, 2017, Sorongon received a certification from the Civil Service Commission, signed by Records Division chief Ma. Dolores Azis, to the effect that the CSC had never written a letter to Dr. Ong to preventively suspend him for the second time.
Sorongon furnished Panay News with a copy of the Oct. 1, 2015 order from Ong’s predecessor as hospital chief, Dr. Feman Rene Autajay, informing him that the CSC had already lifted the suspension order imposed by former WVS chief Dr. Annabelle de Guzman.
Since Convocar was already regional director at that time, she was aware of that order, said Sorongon.
“I flew to Manila to complain to Secretary Ubial. Her shocking reaction was the opposite of what I had expected. She said she could not help me because Ong is ‘malakas sa Malacañang.’ I shook my head in disbelief,” said Sorongon.
A few days later on Oct. 10, the Commission of Appointments rejected the presidential appointment of Ubial. Undersecretary Herminigildo Valle took over as OIC Secretary of Health.
“That was good news for me, knowing that the new man would be responsive to my lot,” said Sorongon.
Ong, a pathologist with the rank of medical specialist IV, assumed his WVS assignment on April 25, 2017.
“On one of his early days in office,” Sorongon recalled, “he warned of getting rid of subordinates disobeying his orders. In fact, on July 18, Dr. Ong issued a memorandum transferring three employees to the Nursing Service Office in order to fill up their original positions with his choices.”
Sorongon said the move was questionable because the power to transfer personnel belonged to the regional director of DOH.
Ong tried to transfer him, too, claimed Sorongon, directing him to oversee the construction of the new DOH regional office in Santa Barbara even if construction of said building had not yet begun.
He refused to comply, said Sorongon, even when armed men tried to drive him out of his office.
Meanwhile, a case against Dr. Ong and two other hospital employees has been filed before the Iloilo Provincial Prosecutor’s Office (dated Oct. 6, 2017) for alleged violation of Republic Act 9184. The complaint alleged of falsification, usurpation of official functions, and malversation of public funds or property.
Complainant Shella Aguisando-Sustento is WVS’ head of the Material Management Unit (MMU) whose main duty is to evaluate and appraise all documents pertinent to purchase requests for all operational needs of the hospital.
As stated in the complaint, Sustento suspected something amiss in the Nutrition and Dietetics Supply Service. A receipt purported to have been issued by 3Go Enterprises showed entries indicating listing pork and other edible goods when such store sold only onion, garlic and other condiments.
The petty cash custodian of the Nutrition and Dietetics Supply Service was the Ong-designated Nenita Sumagaysay.
Sustento as her immediate superior refused to sign Sumagaysay’s “inspection and acceptance report,” disabling her from asking for replenishment of the P200,000 petty cash under her custody.
On July 12, Ong transferred Sustento to the Linen and Laundry Unit. (hvego31@gmail.com/PN)
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