Abra vice gov suspended over hospital closure during pandemic

Abra Vice Gov. Bernos suspended over hospital closure during pandemic

By: - Reporter / @luisacabatoINQ
/ 11:00 AM August 24, 2024

Joy Bernos. (Photo from Abra Province/FACEBOOK PAGE)

Abra Vice Governor Jocelyn Valera-Bernos (Photo from Abra Province/FACEBOOK PAGE)

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang confirmed on Saturday that it has ordered the suspension of Abra Vice Governor Maria Jocelyn Valera-Bernos for locking down a hospital during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when she served as the province’s governor.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin confirmed the suspension to reporters.

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READ: COVID-19 lockdowns linked to ‘learning losses’

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When asked if the order was confirmed, Bersamin simply replied, “Yes.”

In a statement issued on August 22, Valera-Bernos condemned the 18-month suspension imposed by the Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs under the Office of the President.

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“I was the governor of the province at that time when Seares Hospital filed a complaint at the Office of the Ombudsman against me and other provincial officials for a decision I made for the sole purpose of ensuring the safety of all Abreños from the threats of COVID-19,” she said in the statement.

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“It was never aimed to target any specific hospital, but a necessary and immediate action to mitigate the probable spread of the virus when, at that time, no known control and vaccine were available,” she added.

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READ: Lockdowns in PH: A brief history

She pointed out that the Office of the Ombudsman already dismissed the complaint against her.

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“On May 4, 2022, the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed the complaint and ruled that my actions were done in good faith and within the bounds of my duty as a public servant during a state of calamity,” Valera-Bernos said.

The official also called the order a “politically-motivated character and reputation attacks.”

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