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Ravanera prepares admin charges vs. Emano

January 31, 2010

By Lizanilla J. Amarga

An administrative suit on the controversial P18 million medicine scam is now being prepared against PaDayon Pilipino titular head city vice-mayor Vicente Emano, J. R. Borja Memorial City Hospital then hospital administrator Dr. Jerie Calingasan and other co-respondents.

Lead counsel for the complainants Atty. Manuel Ravanera said the administrative charges would be filed at the Office of the President this Friday or at early next week.

He pointed to three major reasons for this latest legal maneuver – Emano’s declaration to side with former president Ejercito “Erap” Estrada, reports that Malacañang has issued an order directing Emano to explain his numerous absences as presiding officer during the City Council regular sessions.

Also, on a strong conviction that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would prove that she is indeed a graft-buster who does not hold anyone as a sacred cow even as her administration’s reign is set to end this year.

“The move to file the administrative charges would just be timely that there are now changes in the positioning of politicians,” he told Gold Star Daily yesterday.

The complainants of the administrative charges would include those who already executed affidavits against the respondents in this P18 million criminal charges.

They include: Rhodora Christine B. Patana, Judyflor D. Daculiat, Nicomedes Bactong, Lorna Monterola, Esmeralda Tejada, Artesia Zenaida Latar, Malou Villamor, Quennie Lynn Abrogar, Sharon Rose Damolo, Judith Lim, Chona Pepania and Floramae Ortega.

Aside from Emano and Calingasan, the respondents would include the approving officers of the alleged overpriced purchases — City Administrator Criscelda Joson, City Treasurer Lino Daral, City Accountant Wilma Rugay, City Auditor Olivia Flores.

The criminal charges were supported with vouchers, receipts, delivery orders and other financial documents kept by city hospital staff members as well as their sworn statements.

The same evidence supporting their claims of how anomalies after anomalies in the purchase of medicines, hospital supplies, medical equipment and apparatus would be attached for the filing of the administrative case to be sent to Malacañang.

Ravanera said they had already filed the criminal aspect of this case at the Office of the Ombudsman-Mindanao in 2007 which included 32 counts of Anti-Graft and Corruption violations.

He said he and the 12 complainants from the city hospital had hoped that the Ombudsman, being the constitutionally-appointed watchdog of the government funds and dealings, would act on the charges.

“The Ombudsman sat on the case when it is supposed to be the watchdog of the people on government anomalies. It now seems that the watchdog joined the dogs,” he said.

Among the 32 counts of graft charges filed by the city hospital doctors, nurses and staff include the purchase of a surgical table which they report barely cost around P400,000 but was purchased at P1,240,000 or triple the price.

Also, the purchase of an X-Ray machine at the amount of P6.5 million while the complainant said it cannot even command a price of P3 million.

Another allegation was on how the respondents bought eight kilos of detergent powder at a price of P11,500 or an amount of P1,437.50 per kilo.

Also, an how Anesthesia Machine was bought for the amount of P1,985,000 which the city hospital doctors reported to be malfunctioning and even endangering the lives of the patients.

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