Hospital warned of obstruction of justice rap

CEBU CITY—An interagency investigating committee has warned a hospital here it faces charges of obstruction of justice if it continues to refuse to identify hospital workers who were on duty when a baby was found gagged with adhesive tape.

Lawyer Dante Jadman, committee spokesperson, said officials of Cebu Puericulture Center and Maternity House Inc.  declined to identify the nurses who were on duty in the evening of May 9 when Jasmine Badocdoc found the upper lip of her baby sealed with tape.

“There were about three nurses [who were on duty]. The hospital is withholding their names,” he said.

“There’s a possibility [that they will be charged] because they are obstructing evidence. The hospital didn’t divulge their identities and was hiding them,” said Jadman of the Commission on Human Rights in Central Visayas.

The committee, composed of six agencies, is investigating the case after photos of the baby with a tape on his lip were posted on Facebook by the baby’s father, Ryan Noval, to draw attention to the case.

The committee invited hospital officials led by medical director Dr. Raida Varona.

Jadman said the committee wanted to invite the nurses on duty.

The boy’s parents were

also summoned.

At a hearing of the committee, Badocdoc’s phone, which was used to take pictures of the baby with his lip taped, was presented for checking by the National Telecommunications Commission, also a member of the committee.

The committee is looking at allegations made by the hospital that the photo taken through Badocdoc’s phone has been edited.

The hospital earlier submitted a report saying none of its workers taped the baby’s lip.

Earlier reports said the baby’s lip had been taped to keep it quiet.

“It is our firm conviction that our nurses did not put the plaster or could they ever think of putting plaster on both the upper and lower lip of the baby,” said the hospital report.

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