Lawmakers want inquiry into sacking of Taguig hospital nurses

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers on Thursday filed a resolution urging the House of Representatives to conduct an inquiry into the alleged dismissal of 15 nurses from a hospital in Taguig City.

Members of the Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives have filed House Resolution 2820, seeking to look into the reports of nurses from the Taguig-Pateros District Hospital who were allegedly sacked after posting “likes” in a Facebook post of a volunteer doctor.

The resolution was authored by Bayan Muna Representatives Teddy Casino and Neri Colmenares, Anakpawis Representative Rafael Mariano, Gabriela Representative Luz Ilagan, and Kabataan Representative Raymond Palatino.”

Casino said in a statement that the resolution urged the House committee on civil service and professional regulation to launch an inquiry on the issue. He cited reports which indicated that the nurses were not given their certificates of employment and were merely handed their termination letters after the incident.

He defended the nurses, saying that the Supreme Court’s temporary restraining order on the contentious Cybercrime Prevention Act was still in effect. “If the nurses are contractual, they should be accorded due process for them to answer the charges and complaints against them.”

“Whether the [nurses] committed errors and infractions could not have been established through an impartial investigation,” said Casino, who warned that the incident could have an impact on nurses’ morale and dignity.

He said that the case could set a precedent on nurses working the country, especially those who are under contractual services.