Hospital to ask help from PWC
Balamban Provincial Hospital chief will seek the intervention of the Provincial Women Commission (PWC) after a female nurse was allegedly harassed by a patient and her husband inside the hospital last week.
Doctor Olivia Dandan said they will ask advice and assistance from PWC for possible action against the patient, who is a public school teacher, and her husband.
The commission, on the other hand, assured to support the plans of the hospital management.
Dandan will also meet Provincial Health Office Chief Dr. Rene Catan today to tackle the result of the investigation.
Dandan said they will not tolerate physical harassment on their employees.
"At our end, okay ra mi kasab-an, kay atong ingnon, public servant, that's okay but ang ato lang wala unta tay physical, mao ra gyud na ang gisakitan sa atong buot," she said.
The hospital management has already submitted its incident report to the PHO and the Provincial Legal Office.
The patient was reportedly angry at the nurse for failing to come to their assistance. The patient was caught on the video shouting at the nurse.
The Philippine Nurses AssociationCebu Chapter, on the other hand, is planning to ask the stand of the Department of Education on the incident.
"The lawyer is still looking kung unsa gyod ang case but definitely we'll be asking the DepEd kay teacher man to ang patient", said Dr. Joseph Stephen Descallar, PNA-Cebu president.
Meanwhile, a nurse is facing charges before the court for allegedly posting defamatory remarks against the PNA Cebu Chapter, Inc. on his Facebook account.
Prosecutor IIIAlex Gabud heldArvin Israel Ango Peñalosa for trial after finding probable cause for two counts of libel for violating the Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Law in relation to Article 355 (libel) of the Revised Penal Code.
"The accused was given a chance to submit controverting evidence, that on the basis of the evidence presented, there is a reasonable ground to believe that the crime of libel has been committed and that the accused is probably guilty thereof," reads part of the decision.
Gabud has recommended P20,000 bail for Peñalosa's temporary liberty.
In its complaint, the PNA-Cebu Chapter represented by its incumbent president, Joseph Stephen Descallar, said Peñalosa posted "This is bullshit!!! Cebu Nursing Associations!!! It's too immature for all of you liars to make an issue against me!" on his Facebook at 2:06 a.m. on May 20, 2017.
He said Peñalosa also posted a "grossly malicious, unethical, and unprofessional" remark on May 4, 2017 to destroy the reputation of the PNA-Cebu Chapter.
In his counter-affidavit, Peñalosa claimed that he was only exercising his freedom of expression and had no intention to defame the association.
Said posts, he said, were a legitimate complaint against the wrong practices of the association, of which he was a member.
Peñalosa also claimed the PNACebu Chapter violated the principle of exhaustion of administrative remedies because they failed to bring the matter before the adjudicatory function of the PNA.
Evaluating the evidence of the parties, Gabud found probable cause to indict Peñalosa before the court for libel.
As to the issue of failure to exhaust the administrative remedies, Gabud said, it may not be considered in the said case.
"Another contention of the respondent that the filing of this case is a violation of the principle of exhaustion of administrative remedies may not be considered because the law on libel does not say so neither will it be consider as an exercise of the freedom of expression, because such freedom as guaranteed by the constitution must be exercised with regards to another person's right which must be equally respected," the resolution reads.—
Mark Roland A. Romas, Mylen P. Manto, and Le Phyllis F. Antojado/KBQ