'I'm not a Malacanang appointee' - UP-PGH Director Domingo

Newly-elected University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) Director Dr. Enrique Domingo denied allegations that he is a “Malacanang-backed appointee.”

In an interview with DZMM earlier today, Domingo said that he is “not affiliated” and “not related” with Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, contrary to the claims of groups opposing his directorship.

The voting

On February 25, the UP Board of Regents (BOR) “unanimously” voted for Domingo as the new UP-PGH Director. Six regents, which included BOR Chair Emmanuel Angeles, UP President Emerlinda Roman, Las Pinas Representative Cynthia Villar, and Malacanang appointees Francis Chua, Nelia Gonzalez, and Abraham Sarmiento voted in favor of Domingo. Three regents, which included Alumni Regent Alfredo Pascual, Faculty Regent Judy Taguiwalo, and Staff Regent Buboy Cabrera, abstained while Senator Mar Roxas was absent.

Taguiwalo said in her blog that the sectoral regents abstained because Angeles denied their motion that the voting be done through viva voce (raising of hands), which, for them, is “for the sake of transparency.” She also motioned for the inclusion of Student Regent Charisse Banez, who was recently removed from office, saying that Banez has filed a case in the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to reverse her earlier removal. UP Vice President for Legal Affairs Theodore Te (not a member of the BOR) countered that the court has not issued a temporary restraining order on Banez's removal, thus, her removal stays.

Taguiwalo also questioned the legitimacy of the three Malacanang-appointed regents, saying that they were appointed as “acting regents by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on September 2008, March 2008 and January 1, 2008, respectively.” Taguiwalo explained that “according to Section 16 and 17 of Chapter 5, Title I, Book III of the Administrative Code of 1987 (EO 292), the President of the Philippines has the power to 'issue temporary designations [but] in no case shall a temporary designation exceed one year.'”

Angeles denied Taguiwalo's motion on the Malacanang-appointed regents, while Roman moved that the BOR will “recommend” to Malacanang that the said regent must be given “regular appointments.” Taguiwalo countered that there must be a system-wide consultation first before coming up with such a recommendation.

Last December, the BOR elected Dr. Jose Gonzales, 6-5, as UP-PGH Director, but Regent Abraham Sarmiento protested the said vote, saying that Banez's vote was illegitimate because the SR is “not a bona fide student” of UP. Banez was removed from her office on January 29. Sarmiento's protest put Dr. Gonzales' directorship on hold.

Youngest director

When asked about his political affiliations, Domingo said that he was once affiliated with Arroyo, but has severed links with her since 2001 “to pursue a full-time career in medicine and in the academe as a professor.”

He added that he will “pursue reforms” in the UP-PGH, which is the country's largest public hospital and is hosted by UP. He revealed that “a number of donors” have offered grants for the hospital, particularly the government of Spain.

On the issue of the hospital's unsettled electric bill dues, he said that the national government does not give ample appropriation for the electricity expenses of UP-PGH. “To put it simply, the government provides only P5 million a month for our electricity even if our monthly dues are at P10 million... The director has no power to rechannel the budget of the hospital from the other appropriations, so I think we have to address this problem with immediate solutions,” Domingo explained.

He also promised that he will support the hospital's staff, making sure that they will be “courteous to patients at all time.” He added that the hospital staff “support” his directorship upon taking his oath of office on February 26.

Domingo said that he is currently holding office in the Human Resource office room since Dr. Gonzales is still occupying the office room of the UP-PGH Director. “I respect Dr. Gonzales as a colleague so I will not occupy the Director's room. I will leave it up to the UP administration to determine if he must vacate the room,” Domingo said.

The 41-year-old Domingo is the youngest director of UP-PGH throughout its 100-year history.

Pro-Gonzales groups cry foul

In a Philippine Daily Inquirer report, a number of PGH employees and UP-Manila students held a protest rally in front of the UP-PGH compound while a number of the protesters “guarded” the Director's office room currently occupied by Dr. Gonzales.

“Security of tenure provides that he cannot be removed or suspended except for certain causes provided by law. An appointment, once made and completed, is also not subject to reconsideration or revocation. The arbitrary removal of a duly elected director in Dr. Jose Gonzales is thus not only unjust and oppressive, but also illegal,” stated the UP All-Workers Union.

“[I am] sad and mad that people like Dr. Jose Gonzales, a recognized surgeon who has served the university and PGH for a long time, has to undergo this tribulation, this humiliation, this treatment for the simple reason that the [administration of UP President Emerlinda Roman] and Malacañang do not consider him one of their own," Taguiwalo said on GMA News Online.

Furthermore, national democratic group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN, or New Patriotic Alliance) chair Carol Araullo maintained, in a DZMM interview, that Domingo's appointment is “initiated and backed by Malacanang.”

Meanwhile, Department of Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said on DWIZ that DOH is "saddened over what is happening... We fear there may be interruptions in health services and we hope this can be resolved soon... If they need arbitration or negotiation to come to an agreement, we are more than ready to chip in."

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