Court of Appeals uplholds Q.C. RTC ruling in U.P. PGH Directorship case, Joegon to remain as Director

THE COURT of Appeals has upheld a trial court ruling that prevented the director of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) from assuming his post after his appointment was questioned in court.

In a decision promulgated March 18, the appellate court’s Special Sixteenth Division affirmed the resolution of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court that granted a writ of preliminary injunction on Dr. Rolando Enrique D. Domingo from assuming his post as director of PGH.

In his stead, the trial court ordered Dr. Jose C. Gonzales to continue serving as the director of the hospital in Manila.

Read the rest here: Court of Appeals upholds Q.C. RTC ruling in U.P. PGH Directorship case, Joegon to remain as Director

U.P. Medical Alumni Society on the PGH Director controversy to the U.P. Board of Regents: "Wake up and Smell the coffee."

In what perhaps amounts to one of the strongest messages sent yet to the University of the Philippines (U.P.) Board of Regents (BOR), the University of the Philippines Medical Alumni Society (UPMAS) is asking the BOR to wake up and smell the coffee on the growing public clamor to review and reverse its decision to remove Dr. Jose C. Gonzales as the Director of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and to resolve the issue speedily; in the interest of service to the public, including some 500,000 estimated indigent patients who seek treatment at PGH every year.

The Diliman Diary is posting below the actual verbatim statement of UPMAS including the embedded scans of the message (embedded above and below):

University of the Philippines Medical Alumni Society

Message of Concern for the Attention of the Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines from the Board of Directors of the UP Medical Alumni Society (UPMAS)

I. We, the Officers and members of the UP Medical Alumni Society (UPMAS) having carefully studied the circumstances surrounding the election of the Director of the Philippine General Hospital issue this Message of Concern for the following reasons:

A. The effective implementation of the programs of the Philippine General Hospital has been seriously compromised.

B. The confusion generated by the series of questionable election processes carried out by the Board of Regents, since its meeting on December 18, 2009 has not only divided the UP-PGH community, it has hampered the delivery of quality care to the patients as well as the excellent education and training in PGH that have been committed to the students and trainees in all the health professions, now enrolled in UP Manila.

C. The divisiveness that has since prevailed in the hospital community as well as in UP Manila, has created an unhealthy work environment that has caused serious demoralization among all sectors in the Philippine General Hospital, as well as the entire campus.

II. Our study and careful review of the events since December 18, 2009 that has generated for us the above reasons to issue this Message of Concern leads us now to call on the Board of Regents to rectify its actions and reverse its decision of Feb 25, 2010. In doing so, it will clearly show to all sectors of the University and the rest of the country that it truly upholds what the University holds dear: the dignity and self-respect of any individual and this individual's right to due process of the law.

• We therefore support calls on the University officials to expedite the resolution of the PGH Directorship issue, in a manner that is speedy and just.

III. We are concerned that the inconsistency in the manner by which the Board of Regents has conducted the election of the Director of the Philippine General Hospital this year has put the integrity of the selection process for PGH Director in serious question. In three years' time we will face another PGH Directorship selection process. We do not want a similarly contentious situation to arise which would again polarize the UP-PGH-UPCM and the entire UP Manila community.

• We support calls for a thorough review of all UP BOR processes to ensure that they are in compliance with existing policies of the University and the country.
• We support calls for the Board of regents (BOR) to clarify and observe the policies governing the selection of the PGH Director now, and uphold these in the future.
• We support calls for the BOR to follow the prescribed mechanisms for choosing the Director of the PGH regardless of personalities and pressures from within or outside the University.
• We support demands for increased transparency in all the transactions of the BOR.
• We support calls on the BOR to be more participatory, and to truly reflect the sentiments and aspirations of the various sectors of the UP community, who are represented in the BOR, consistent with the University's ideal of excellence and honorable service to the nation.
• Above all, we would like to continually expect that the BOR express, in all its decisions and actions, what the University holds dear, which is, the recognition and respect of an individual's right to his dignity as a human being and his right to due process.

We, the 2010 Officers and Members of the Board of directors of UPMAS, along with UPCM Alumni, the entire UP Manila - especially the Philippine General Hospital community, are confident that a positive outcome will emerge from this unfortunate situation. We enjoin everyone to continue rendering the superior service Filipinos expect and deserve. We enjoin everyone that as they move forward and continue to be highly competent and compassionate physicians, to also be vigilant, having learned from the lessons gained from this experience.

Signed:

The 2010 Members of the Board of Directors of UPMAS

(Editors note: To se the actual signatories of this Message of Concern, please click on the third and fourth embedded scans below):

On Monday Morning, Flag Day, the U.P. PGH community says to U.P. President Emerlinda Roman: "We are more than just a small band of protesters."

By Chanda Shahani

Ignoring a ban against any mass assembly by the administration of the University of the Philippines (U.P.) Philippine General Hospital, hundreds of protesters made up of doctors, medical students, medical staff and members of the All-U.P. Workers Union converged today on the lobby of U.P. PGH today to lend support to the symbolic signing by PGH doctors of their intent to file mass leaves of absence (LOAs).

The LOAs by so many senior doctors are seen by many observers as a collective act of protest against the administration of U.P. President Emerlinda Roman, a professor of business administration at U.P. Diliman and who has very aggressively forced the issue of installing a less qualified Dr. Enrique Domingo as PGH Director over a more experienced and qualified Dr. Jose Gonzales through controversial corporate-style board room tactics at the Board of Regents that has angered students and faculty also in U.P. Diliman and U.P. Los Baños

102 doctors have so far signed and the setting up of a cordon as a symbol of the intent of the doctors and staff to continue with the protest until the U.P. Administration recognizess Dr. Jose Gonzales as the Director of PGH. However, LABAN UPPGH organizer, Dr. Iggy Agbayani  has  said in a Facebook update that the "mass LOA list formally ends ... at 102. Those who still wish to join are advised to sign the statement of support but not to file an official LOA at least while the others are on LOA. Somebody has to man the fort at PGH di ba."

Below are pictures of the symbolic mass LOA taken at U.P. PGH today by Dr. Iggy Agbayani:

Former U.P. PGH Director, U.P. College of Medicine alumni weigh in on PGH crisis

By Chanda Shahani

The former Director of the University of the Philippines (U.P.) Philippine General Hospital (PGH), Dr. Gabriel G. Carreon, has emailed the Diliman Diary from Sydney, Australia on April 2, 2010 with a proposal to end the leadership crisis at PGH. As part of our responsibilities as a community weblog that seeks to disseminate critical and important information right away to policy makers and our readers, we are reproducing the contents of the email  with his permission:

"Dear Mr. Shahani,

"As a former Director of the Philippine General Hospital, I have been closely following on your website since December 2009, the very disturbing events and developments about the PGH Directorship and have very serious concerns about the detrimental effects on the institution, the staff and the patients that the hospital serves. I suggest the following action to help address and hopefully resolve the problem, in the spirit and principle of true democracy, by demonstrating the will of the more than 4000 persons working at the PGH and the UP College of Medicine, who provide health care to the public and teach medical students and train young doctors, and who will accept and be working with full support and unequivocal commitment with their PGH Director of choice. These persons, include the medical [consultant and resident doctors], nursing, paramedical and administrative staff of PGH and relevant medical faculty staff of the UP College of Medicine . In pursuing this action, the health and welfare of the public is kept foremost by the UP and the PGH."

"The Chancellor of UP Manila , Dr. Ramon Arcadio, Dr. Jose Gonzales and Dr. Eric Domingo will agree to a SNAP referendum/election/secret ballot [to avoid any campaigning period] by the whole PGH constituency and relevant UP College of Medicine staff, to be called and administered [with complete transparency] by the UP Manila Chancellor and that Dr. Gonzales and Dr. Domingo will abide with the outcome of the election and not challenge the results, which will be final and binding to the Board of Regents, UP administration and the PGH. This will avoid all the unproductive happenings continuing to occur and will place the welfare and interest of and service to the public as the only priority of this venerable SERVICE and training institution -- the Philippine General Hospital."

"Gabriel G. Carreon, M.D.
Former Director of PGH, 1971 to 1979
Former Action for Health Services
Metro Manila Commission 1975 to 1979

Sydney, Australia"

Meanwhile, the University of the Philippines Medical Alumni Society in America (UPMASA) has sent a Statement of Concern, also on the PGH leadership crisis, which they have copy furnished to the Diliman Diary via email also on April 2, 2010. It was signed by UPMASA's key officers: Ofelia D. Madrid-Bernabe, M.D. as President; Silverio Cabellon, Jr., M.D., as Chairperson, Board of Governors and William H. E. Romero, M.D., as Recording Secretary.

Here is what the Statement of Concern said (the scan of the statement is embedded above):

"We, the Board of Governors of the University of the Philippines Medical Alumni Society in America (UPMASA), are deeply concerned over the controversy surrounding the appointment of the Director of the Philippine General Hospital."

"UPMASA, the alumni organization of the UP College of Medicine in North America, Europe and other countries outside of the Philippines, is issuing this statement in its capacity as a major donor of funds and equipment to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). UPMASA derives its support from its membership and it is our fiduciary obligation to ensure that donations to the PGH are received by a stable and fiscally-responsible hospital administration."

"This unresolved dispute between conflicting appointments of two directors has resulted in lawsuits among the protagonists as well as unrest within the various communities of the University of the Philippines and the Philippine General Hospital. This discord has escalated to a mass leave of absence amongst the PGH attending physicians starting March 29, 2010."

"We are concerned that these ongoing conflicts are affecting crucial hospital operations, health access, and timely delivery of quality patient care at the Philippine General Hospital to the indigent patients who need them most."

"We therefore request a speedy and rightful resolution of this issue."

Even as Dr. Carreon and UPMASA weigh in on the issue, U.P. President Emerlinda Roman has not yet attempted to broker any meaningful dialogue between supporters of Dr. Enrique Domingo and Dr. Jose Gonzales, who have both been selected by the Board of Regents (BOR) as Director and are contesting each others' right to occupy the position at present.

President Roman has publicly stated in the past that she believes that the BOR should defer to the judgement of the concerned faculty in deciding its own internal matters; especially those involving the academic freedom of the faculty. In this particular case, the BOR or President Roman or the U.P. Legal Office has yet to issue any public statement centering on the recognition of the weight given by the BOR to the academic freedom of the U.P. College of Medicine faculty in nominating or retaining a PGH Director ; many of whom are also common faculty at the Philippine General Hospital.

(Chanda Shahani is the Editor of the Diliman Diary)

(Photo reproduced with permission of Flickr.com: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pianoforte/4461252584/)

"SHUT UP, THAT'S WHY!!!" U.P. and PGH Administration moves to silence mounting PGH Faculty, Staff discontent vs. removal of PGH Director Dr. Jose Gonzales

By Chanda Shahani

The University of the Philippines (U.P.) Administration and the U.P. Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Administration are now moving to silence the PGH Faculty and Staff regarding the removal as PGH Director of Dr. Jose Gonzales by the Board of Regents (BOR) by limiting their ability to strike and assemble; but the list of discontented doctors just keeps on growing anyway.

But ominously, the recent actions of the both the U.P. Administration and the PGH Administration towards the common faculty members of the PGH and the U.P. College of Medicine (UPCM) appear to be guided and best summed up by the West African proverb which advises a warrior approaching a wild, raging dangerous animal in the African bush to "Speak softly, but carry a Big Stick."

And what a Big Stick is now being wielded by U.P. and PGH against the equivalent of a raging beast which are hundreds of angry PGH doctors and medical personnel who oppose the removal of Dr. Gonzales and his replacement with Dr. Enrique Domingo. The threat of the loss of job security may be on the line for these doctors - who have gone on mass leave of absence to protest the removal of Dr. Gonzales - as well as  the use of state-sanctioned violence and intimidation through the use of PGH security guards to limit the doctors' right to assemble - may also be in the offing.

Here's what we know so far about the U.P. Administration and the U.P. PGH Administration's official pronouncements:

• On March 29, 2010 the U.P. Administration posted an announcement on its own website that was billed as a joint statement from PGH and UPCM (http://www.up.edu.ph/features.php?i=196) stating that: "Consistent with the University’s policy of respecting our constituents’ right to express their views, the reported leave of absence will be properly evaluated and approved upon submission, subject to existing University rules and regulations." This statement means that the U.P. Administration has the right to disapprove any LOAs and to impose sanctions for pesonnel who embark on unapproved leaves of absence.
• On March 31, right before the start of the Holy Week celebrations, Dr. Domingo issued a memo, Memorandum 2010-44 addressed to all department and unit heads, Memorandum Circular No. 6 of 1987 of the Civil ServiceCommission "which reminds all concerned of the prohibition for government officials and employees from staging strikes demonstrations, mass leaves walk-outs and other forms of mass action which will result in temporary stoppage or disruption of public service." However, while the concerned Memorandum Circular No. 6 prohibits government employees from effectively engaging in a strike by staging a mass walk-out, a mass leave is nothing but the sum total of several individuals filing their formal leaves of absence. As of March 31, 92 doctors had already signified their intention to go on mass LOA in the near future.
• On March 29, 2010 Dr. Domingo issued Memorandum 2010-39 which stated that "The Flag Raising Ceremony is a solemn activity honoring our flag and country at the start of every working week. To avoid any disrespect to the Philippine flag all programs following the flag raising are hereby suspended until further notice. The flag shall be raised every Monday at 6:00 am with full honor guard by the UP Manila Security Office and all those present at that time are invited to witness and attend." Since flag ceremonies in all government institutions, including U.P. are usually held at 8:00 a.m., this move is widely seen by observers as a tactic by Dr. Domingo to circumvent the kind of mass gathering that could take place at a later time when more doctors and medical personnel are around. The presence of armed security guards at that hour also ensures that all other programs remain suspended and creates a "chilling effect" against mass gatherings protesting the removal of Dr. Gonzales.

Dr. Domingo's and the U.P. Administration's tactics could be driving a bigger wedge between themselves and the UPCM faculty some of whom are also PGH medical staff and doctors. Memorandum Circular No. 6 of 1987 of the Civil ServiceCommission specifies the preferred alternative to a mass walkout or work stoppage in any given scenario is a series of dialogues between the bureaucratic administration and employees. In the case of the U.P. and PGH Administration and their colleagues in the faculty and the PGH, there have been none so far ever since Dr. Gonzales was removed by a new vote in the BOR, the legitimacy of which is openly being questioned, due to some regents having expired papers when they voted.

The U.P. Administration and the BOR has failed to intelligently explain to its own faculty and the public why Dr. Gonzales, who is more senior and experienced than Dr. Domingo was removed and replaced by Dr. Domingo beyond the legal arguments being peddled by the U.P. Legal Office. The majority of the faculty of the UPCM have voted to retain Dr. Gonzales and are insisting that their Academic Freedom be respected. But Dr. Domingo's administration seems determined to pursue a mailed fist policy against his own colleagues, including the cutting off of the electricity to Dr. Gonzales's office despite the U.P. Administration's unwillingness to to credibly answer questions about the legitimate right to vote of several regents who voted to remove Dr. Gonzales and replace him with Dr. Domingo when they had expired papers during those periods of time (See Diliman Diary, March 23, 2010: http://diliman-diary.blogspot.com/2010/03/success-diliman-diary-finally-gets.html).

Mu Sigma Phi Fraternity asked to join Phi Kappa Mu Fraternity in mass LOA to help UP-PGH

Meantime, Dr.  Iggy Agbayani, one of the organizers of the LABAN UPPGH Movement wrote today in his Facebook account that there was no correlation between the calls to protest the removal of Dr. Gonzales and the fact that Dr. Domingo was a member of the Mu Sigma Phi Fraternity. The only other medical fraternity in UPCM is the Phi Kappa Mu Fraternity.

He said therre were "those who have created a fake fraternity war between the Phi Kappa Mu and the Mu Sigma Phi fraternity to keep members of the Mu Sigma Phi from joining the protest activities against the oppressive and undemocratic governance of President Roman and BOR. Even if it is clear that no member of the BOR nor Roman herself is a member of the Mu Sigma Phi this mindset of Phi vs Mu abounds.”

“During the short period of Dr. Gonzales' directorship he even appointed five members of the Mu Sigma Phi to be chairmen of the various PGH Departments because he believes that what is good for PGH transcends the rivalry of fraternities. There exists a strong rivalry between these two organizations but I think the excuse of not joining a cause to help PGH because of affiliation or friendship has long expired.”

“Even rivals can agree and see if real oppression has been done or when true democracy has been thwarted. I know that my many friends and colleagues in the Mu Sigma Phi are just as passionate and as keen to fight what is wrong and to bring back what is right. In this spirit I would like to call on the Mu doctors and faculty of PGH and even the students and alumni of my rival fraternity to join our protest. Signify your intention to join the mass LOA before it is too late. Sumama na kayo sa Laban para sa UP-PGH upang Ibalik ang Tama.”

(Chanda Shahani is the Editor of the Diliman Diary. He finished A.B. Comparative Literature from U.P. Diliman)

Sources:

1) The embedded video is from: http://www.youtube.com/

2) Picture of the Oblation at the U.P. College of Medicine is reproduced with permission: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ggermar/4174819993/)

U.P. Philippine General Hospital Doctors' Statement on March 29 Mass Leave of Absence to Protest the Blatant Disregard for a Democratic Process and Oppressive Ouster of PGH Director, Dr. Jose Gonzales

The Philippine General Hospital is in crisis because of a Hospital Director’s questionable appointment. When a tenured, democratically elected and functioning PGH Director in Dr. Jose C. Gonzales can be removed from office without due process and cause, it sends a message of oppression and shock to the PGH community. On February 25, 2010 upon orders from the University of the Philippines’ Board of Regents, Dr. Gonzales was replaced by Dr. Enrique Domingo. On March 2, 2010 the College Council of the UP College of Medicine whose membership represents the majority of doctors and faculty members of PGH, overwhelmingly approved a resolution (with a vote of 199 to 19) recognizing Dr. Jose Gonzales as the duly appointed Director of PGH until December 2012. 

We the undersigned have therefore decided to take a mass leave of absence starting the week of March 29, 2010 to express our anger and dismay over the oppression and dubious removal from office of one of our own PGH Doctor and to strongly protest the lack of a democratic process in selecting our Director. In view also of the fact that this matter has already been brought to the courts and has yet to decide on who should be the legally recognized Director, our leave of absence protects us from following orders from a de facto PGH Director. We wish to make it clear that our actions will not affect life threatening or emergency cases in PGH patients but may only delay elective surgeries attendance to outpatient cases or other non-life threatening illnesses for a limited time only. Those of us in very sensitive leadership posts will likewise continue working in a limited capacity despite our LOA. We will not abandon our patients already admitted in hospital and will be available for emergency cases and critical aspects of patient care.

To this end,

We call on our patients and the public for understanding, as we will not neglect the care of the critically ill and emergent conditions, but may sadly have to defer outpatient consultations, elective surgical procedures and non-essential administrative functions.

We call on our medical students and resident trainees for support, as we demonstrate in deed, as in word, what it means to uphold and enflesh the noble traditions we cherish and the timeless principles we value.

We call on our colleagues- physicians, health professionals and health workers alike for introspection, reflection and realization that we share a common situation, and that we are challenged to make a common stand in conscience and with conviction.

We call on our leaders, elected or appointed to positions of authority in the University system, to examine their consciences, rectify the situation and assume the rightful role of servant leader rather than that of lord and master, for they are accountable to the People for their words and deeds.

We particularly call on the other members of the Board of Regents and the President of the University of the Philippines, to heed our resounding call, expressed through the representative voices of our organic Faculty, Staff and Alumni Regents, and through the silenced voice of our Student Regent, as we echo the closing lines of UP Naming Mahal:

Ating pagdiwang, bulwagan ng dangal,
humayo't itanghal, giting at tapang,
mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan,
mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan!

SIGNED:
1. Manny Agulto
2. Marge Lat-Luna
3. Joey Lapena
4. Randy Abdullah
5. Eric Legaspi
6. JJ Cruz
7. Jonas del Rosario
8. Eric Talens
9. Butch Felizar
10. Gerardo Legaspi
11. Jojo Jocson
12. Randy Nicolas
13. Venancio Garduce
14. Mario Geronilla
15. CJ Gloria
16. Pio Villacorta
17. Jubert Benedicto
18. Abundio Balgos
19. Mariel Nicolas
20. Arnel De jesus
21. Abe Marinduque
22. Dennis Serrano
23. Ted Herbosa
24. Leo Cubillan
25. Delen Dela Paz
26. Herbie Uy
27. Alvin Marcelo
28. Atoy Manalo
29. Rene Tuazon
30. Leah Tantoco
31. Edison Ty
32. Ricky Salonga
33. Bebol Paterno
34. Maloy Calaquian
35. Butching Paterno
36. Felix Lukban
37. Pablo Lazatin III
38. Jimmy Tan
39. Aileen Cubillan
40. Portia Marcelo
41. Adrian Manapat
42. June Lopez
43. Telly How -Hidalgo
44. Ben Vista
45. Gene Abes
46. Pia Malanyaon
47. Carlos Chua
48. Eris LLanes
49. Charlotte Chiong
50. Gary Mercado
51. Peter Bernardo
52. Jun Kaw
53. Ting Leynes
54. Joan Ocobillo
55. Agnes Mejia
56. Grace Herbosa
57. Joan Ocubillo
58. Eduardo Bautista
59. Benjie Dela Paz
60. Lara Alentahan
61. Cynthia Dominguez
62. Eugene Reyes

If you are a faculty member of the UPCM and you wish to be added to this list please e-mail or call/txt the following cell phone numbers below ASAP. To determine the mechanics of applying for an LOA for this purpose please contact, text or e-mail the following:

Dr. Iggy Agbayani 09175318648 or
iggyagbayani@yahoo.com
Dr. Jonas Del Rosario 09178456627 or
delrosariojonas@yahoo.com
Dr. Joey Lapena 09179137258 or
joeylapena@yahoo.com
Dra. Marge Lat Luna 09189234718 or
margelatluna@yahoo.com

DEADLINE FOR JOINING IS Sunday APRIL 4, 2010

Maraming salamat po. Tuloy ang Laban para Ibalik ang Tama.

Unibersidad ng Pilipinas ang Eskwelahan ng Matatalino, Matatapang at May Malasakit sa Kapwa at Lalo na sa Mahihirap.

Laban UP-PGH Movement

(Editor's note: the Diliman Diary will give equal treatment to the U.P. Administration's comments or reactions on this issue when they become available).

Analysis: Malacañang, the BOR, PGH Executive Director and the Student Regent: This particular tale could be one of the convergence of interlocking interests

By Chanda Shahani

Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once famously said in a radio broadcast in October 1939 about Russia that: "I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.”

He could have been describing the seemingly baffling moves of the University of the Philippines (U.P.) Administration to deliberately remove representation for 50,000 U.P. students by ousting Student Regent Charisse Bañez on an easily correctible technicality, remove a highly qualified PGH Executive Director Dr. Jose Gonzales and install a less experienced and more junior Dr. Enrique Domingo as the new PGH Executive Director. These have been met with loud and vigorous opposition from many quarters, but the U.P. Administration has kept a stiff upper lip and soldiered on. But why?

In the case of Soviet Russia, Churchill provided a clue. He said, “There is a key. That key is Russian national interest." And that's where 1939 Russia and the U.P. Administration in 2010 part ways. For the U.P. Administration and its allies, national interest is clearly not a priority in its recent controversial decisions involving the tax-payer funded premier state university. Instead, the key here is a series of converging parochial and ideological interests as well as relationships among the U.P. Administration and its allies in Malacanang Here's why:

To begin with the recent U.P. Administration saga involving PGH and the Student Regent begins when Student Regent Bañez voted for Dr. Jose Gonzales as part of a swing vote (6 votes) in a BOR meeting last December 18, 2009 besting outgoing PGH Executive Director Carlos Alfiler (5 votes). This was a major inconvenience, to say the very least, for the Administration of U.P. President Emerlinda Roman. Roman, who did not vote for Gonzales, worked closely with Dr. Alfiler to privatize portions of U.P. PGH in a deal that is now being questioned by the Department of Justice (DOJ) (although the DOJ opinion is not binding). Dr. Gonzales is against the overall deal as he says it detracts from the essential mission of PGH which is to service indigent patients.

The U.P. Administration has however adopted a revisionist approach to the swing vote of the Student Regent. It has focused on singling out the Student Regent and invoking technicalities thus making it impossible for her to enroll in continuing residency beyond the alloted deadline despite the fact that there are numerous instances of other students who were not Student Regents being allowed to enroll in residency. In so doing, it has succeeded in disqualifying her as a student, and thus as a Student Regent and also in disqualifying the validity of her swing vote such that Dr. Gonzales no longer enjoyed a majority of six (6) votes, and has been removed and replaced with a dark horse candidate, Dr. Enrique Domingo, who was more junior than either Dr. Alfiler and Dr. Gonzales.

Significantly, Dr. Domingo was a former assistant of Dr. Alfiler, and is a card-carrying member of Mu Sigma Phi, a U.P. College of Medicine medical fraternity which counts among its members, Dr. Alfiler himself and Dr. Edwin Mercado, President of the Daniel Mercado Medical Center (DMMC), which is the private company that signed the deal with President Roman to construct the U.P. PGH Faculty Medical Arts Building (FMAB) wherein portions of PGH will be privatized. Dr. Domingo is also in favour of the FMAB project, and is expected to carry out the policies of Dr. Alfiler in privatizing portions of the premier state hospital, which Dr. Gonzales is not in favour of.

The current U.P. Administration, headed by President Roman, a professor of business administration at U.P. Diliman, is in favour of an overall approach of essentially bringing a more corporate character to the premier state university due to chronic budget shortfalls from the national government.

But as far as interlocking relationships go, it doesn't stop there. Diliman Diary writer Sigrid Salucop reported last March 22, 2010 that a sectoral forum organized by the Office of the Student, Staff and Faculty regents in U.P. Diliman revealed that Dr. Domingo had planned to run for congress against the incumbent Congressman in the 3rd congressional district of Pampanga, Rep. Aurelio Gonzales, Jr. (Lakas-KAMPI-CMD), a close political ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who herself is running for Congress in the 2nd congressional district (http://tinyurl.com/yfz9fqn).

Dr. Domingo does not represent just any idle threat to Rep. Gonzales. His mother, former Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo is also a former Congresswoman from Pampanga's 3rd district (1992 to 1995) and his brother, Board member Karl Domingo (also representing the 3rd district) is running for reelection (http://gg.tigweb.org/choyg8/2735/ and http://tinyurl.com/yf4sq3u). By taking Dr. Domingo out of the running by offering him a reasonably attractive alternative (such as Executive Director of the PGH) by instructing BOR members under her control to vote for Dr. Domingo, President Arroyo guarantees that a tactical alliance is forged with the Domingo family so that they do not upset the balance of power in Pampanga and thus eliminate a threat to Rep. Gonzales.

Even though President Arroyo is running in the 2nd district in Pampanga and Rep. Gonzales in the 3rd, she would need to have allies as a Pampanga congresswoman to consolidate her political leverage over vote-rich Pampanga province when she steps down in order to seek any political accomodations against possible investigation for wrongdoing while in office, since the current two top front-runners in the Presidential derby, Senator Benigno Aquino III (LP) and Senator Manny Villar (NP) belong to two different parties.

Additionally, it is the incumbent President's partymates in both houses of congress who are usually given top priority by in the release of “pork barrel” funds, otherwise known as Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) which Congressmen rely on to woo the loyalty of voters in their districts by implementing local projects. Arroyo could find herself out in the cold by becoming a congresswoman from a minority party since the majority of congressmen are expected to shift alliances to the party of the new President. She can minimize this problem by having a good relationship with the incumbent governor who can guarantee local funding for projects in her district.

And that's where the PGH power play combines with a Pampanga power play and even a national power play. The Macapagal-Arroyo political clan is now headed by incumbent President Gloria M. Arroyo. With two sons of President Arroyo in the House seats Diosdado “Dato” Arroyo (1st District, Camarines Sur) and incumbent Rep. Mikey Arroyo (2nd District, Pampanga) – who may run for congressman under a still unspecified party-list group as well as reelectionist Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo, a brother-in-law, regaining his seat (5th District, Negros Occidental), she is guaranteeing a minimum number of core group loyalists supporting her within congress. And that's not even counting other allies in congress.

In the Pampanga front, however, Arroyo and her allies also need to make sure that Governor Lilia Pineda wins in the new square-off against former Governor Ed Panlilio, the first Catholic priest elected in government (http://tinyurl.com/ylbhy5y). That's where it's important to make sure that potential political threats such as Dr. Domingo toe the line by rewarding them with government positions

President Arroyo has direct control over four out of the six regents who voted for Dr. Domingo. The BOR Chairman, CHED Chairman Emmanuel Angeles sits in Arroyo's cabinet while Arroyo appointed Regents Abraham Sarmiento, Nelia Gonzales and Francis Chua in 2008 and reappointed them again, in March 2010.

On another level, President Roman and the other swing vote in the BOR in favour of Dr. Domingo, Rep. Cynthia Villar (NP), would also want to have Dr. Domingo as PGH Executive Director independent of Pampanga and Mu Sigma Phi politics for the reason that he is in favour of the deal inked between President Roman and DMMC President Mercado last July 2009 which fits well with the current U.P. Administration's mindset of giving the University system a more corporate character. But even if the U.P. Administration actually possesses a free-market ideology, it does not mean that it is any less political since it has recommended the three Malacanag regents for “midnight” appointments by President Arroyo before the March 10, 2010 constitutional ban on presidential appoinments kicked in.

The three (3) regents recommendations by the BOR for reappointment by President Arroyo are being protested by the Student Regent Charisse Bañez, Faculty Regent Judy Taguiwalo Staff Regent Clodualdo “Buboy” Cabrera and Alumni Regent Alfredo Reyes who say that the sectors should have first been consulted to diversify the gene pool of nominations to the Palace for regent appointments.

The sentiments of the sectoral regents have been brushed aside by the U.P. Administration in favour of the the holdover regents since they constitute part of a power bloc within the U.P. System that is loosely known as the “Wednesday Club,” (See Diliman Diary, March 17, 2010) and comprise another key set of interrelationships that runs the U.P. System and is gearing up to continue running the University into the next U.P. Presidency.

The Diliman Diary will continue writing about the “Wednesday Club” in greater detail in the future, in view of the impact of its policies on the tax-payer funded premeier state university. That's a promise.

Dr. Enrique Domingo is now new U.P. Philippine General Hospital Executive Director

(Source: Mu Sigma Phi)

It's now confirmed. Dr. Rolando Enrique D. Domingo, U.P. College of Medicine,  is now the new Executive Director of the University of the Philippines General Hospital (U.P. PGH).

This was confirmed today, February 26, 2010, by the Office of the Secretary of the University, a day after the U.P. Board of Regents (BOR) met on February 25, 2010 to discuss the issue of who would man the helm of U.P. PGH, the status of Student Regent Charisse Banez, and other issues.

Dr. Domingo replaces Dr. Jose Gonzales, who served as U.P. PGH Executive Director from January 4, 2010 to February 25, 2010.

According to the website of Mu Sigma Phi, a medical fraternity, based at the U.P. College of Medicine, which Dr. Domingo is a member of (http://www.musigmaphi.com/), Dr. Domingo is an accomplished ophthalmologist and a past Deparment of Health Assistant Secretary and was also Deputy Director for Administration under former PGH Director Dr. Carmelo Alfiler.

Dr. Domingo was voted into position at the UP Board of Regents (BOR) meeting held on February 25, 2010. The BOR is the highest policy-making body in the UP System.