Health workers snub Capiz SP ‘head count’

By Felipe V. Celino 

ROXAS CITY, Capiz — Job order and contract of service health workers of the Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital (RMPH) purportedly snubbed the “head count” called by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) at the session hall Monday, October 4, 2021.

The Committee on Appropriations chaired by Board Member Jonathan Sonny Besa said no one appeared in the scheduled head count set by the committee to determine whether the more than 500 health workers indeed exist.

The head count is a requirement to the supplemental budget request of the Office of the Governor.

Besa said that his office received a letter from the Human Resource Management Office (HRMO) informing them that the board members themselves will have to proceed to RMPH instead for the head count.

The letter was signed by provincial administrator Edwin Chinel Monares who also heads the HRMO.

Monares, last week, was declared persona non grata by the provincial board because of his alleged combative behavior against provincial board members.

But Besa said he sent a letter to the Office of the Governor informing the latter that the head count will be held in the session hall.

Besa advised the job order (JO) and Contract of Service Workers of RMPH to appear in the session hall at any available time in order to confirm if they are legitimate employees of the hospital.

The head count runs from October 4 to 13, 2021 from 9 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 4 pm.

Last week, health workers threatened to file mass leaves if the provincial board does not approve their budget request.

Dr. Edmarie Tormon, RMPH acting chief, and other hospital officials, were no shows at the hearing called by the committee on appropriations.

The provincial board had passed a resolution calling for the resignation of Tormon for being incapable to the position as hospital chief. It might be the reason why Tormon “snubbed” the committee hearing.

Besa, for his part, insisted that there are still sufficient funds intended for the salaries for the health workers until end of September 2021, based on the documents coming from the Provincial Budget Office.

“We are only complying our mandate as legislature and not playing politics as accused by the executive department,” Besa said.