Jaraula, Emano bar City Doctors from Cong. Uy’s medical outreach program

April 20, 2008

Cong. Rolando Uy and Donkoy Emano

MEDICAL CARE & POLITICS. Local political titans are now in a tug-of-war over how J.R. Borja City Memorial Hospital doctors spend their weekends. Doctors , however, lamented how both camps may be mixing medical care for indigents with their political ambitions.

By Lizanilla J. Amarga

Cagayan de Oro city mayor Constantino Jaraula and vice-mayor Vicente Emano yesterday barred J.R. Borja Memorial City Hospital doctors from volunteering their services on a weekend health community outreach program spearheaded by opposition First District Cong. Rolando Uy.

Opposition city councilors Teodulfo Lao, Roger Abaday and Zaldy Ocon together with Uy’s barangay affairs consultant Barangay Gusa chairperson Enrico Salcedo voiced strong convictions that this move is tainted with politics and proceeded to slam both PaDayon Pilipino leaders.

They accused Jaraula and Emano, both PaDayon Pilipino party leaders, of putting their political ambitions ahead of the health needs of the people.

Lao described the move as something that is ‘very selfish’ and a manifestation of how the two top-ranking city officials are just using the indigent and brush aside their political promises once voted in power.

“Mangil-ad ug salawayon kaayo kini ilang gibuhat (This is something that is really detestable and revolting),” Abaday said.

Salcedo for his part lambasted the two officials over dxCO Radyo Banat together with Ocon during the latter’s radio program last week.

Lao, Abaday, Salcedo are members of the defunct “Magic 8” or the eight chairpersons from vote-rich barangays who installed Emano into power as city mayor in the 1998 elections. They too were members of the PaDayon Pilipino but have all left Emano saying they can no longer tolerate Emano’s ‘tyranny.’

“Kay kami mismo nakabalo ug mobarog nga ang mga doctor sa City Hospital nato gigamit man usab kana nila sa PPP. Unsay deperensya sa PPP ug sa kang Cong. Klarex Uy nga medical outreach program? (For we personally know how these City Hospital doctors are also being used during the People-to-People Program. What is the difference now between the PPP and that of Cong. Klarex Uy’s medical outreach program),” Salcedo said.

He added that Uy’s medical outreach program was scheduled April 19, 2008 and other future Saturdays in different other barangays in the First District.

Jaraula for his part denied accusations that his order was tainted with politics.

He claimed that the city hospital doctors are only few and that the City Government cannot afford to spare one of them to join the congressman’s health program.

“Unya dili man ingon nga abi Sabado or Domingo wala kana’y tarbaho atong mga doctor sa city hospital kay on-call man kana sila (And it is not that because it is a Saturday or a Sunday that they do not have work as our city hospital doctors are always in an on-call basis),” he said over dxIF Bombo radio Saturday.

Two City Hospital doctors who requested anonymity confirmed that indeed it was Jaraula who told their head doctor that not one doctor from the J.R. Borja Memorial Hospital is permitted to join Uy’s health outreach program.

They recalled how they were told that Jaraula was only following the orders issued by Emano, the PaDayon Pilipino’s titular head and founder.

“Jaraula told the doctor we sent over that even if he is mayor of the city, he cannot deny Emano’s orders or requests as it was Emano who made it possible for Jaraula to be congressman for three straight terms and now as mayor of the city,” one of the doctors said in the dialect.

These doctors deeply lamented the move to bar them from volunteering their services to Uy’s outreach project.

“We believe that it is still our prerogative to do what we want to do during our day off or free time…whether we use the period to volunteer or not, it is up to us to decide,” one doctor said.

But as they do not want to get anyone in trouble amongst their group, these doctors added they are forced to obey the Jaraula’s orders right now.

Written by admin · Filed Under Cagayan de Oro