Doctors charged with fraud

Teresita Manzala, chair of the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC), has accused five prominent doctors of committing fraud to secure approval for a corporation that they set up.

Leo Olarte, Bu Castro, Rey Melchor Santos, Oscar Tinio and Jose Asa Sabili allegedly forged Manzala’s signature so their corporation could be approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Olarte is the current president of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA), while the others are past presidents of the group.

The SEC has revoked the registration of the Philippine Society for Stem Cell Medicine Inc. (PSSCM), the company the five doctors registered.

Criminal and administrative charges may be filed against Olarte et al. for allegedly forging the PRC head’s signature.

PSSCM’s stated purpose is “to organize and operate an organization that will advocate  the development and propagation of stem cell technology, including but not limited to information dissemination, research, fora, seminars and other related activities to support the above-mentioned.”

After receiving the PSSCM application, the SEC asked its incorporators to submit a favorable endorsement from the PRC because of the medical nature of the proposed company.

Complying with the SEC order, the incorporators submitted a document which bore the  signature presumed to be that  of PRC Chair Manzala.

The document states the PRC went over the provisions of PSSCM’s articles of incorporation and found these consistent with the PRC Modernization Law of 2000.

On the basis of the alleged  endorsement, the SEC approved the  application.

But on Aug. 14, 2013, the SEC received a letter-complaint from Manzala saying that her signature on the  endorsement was  forged.

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If Manzala’s accusation against the five doctors is true, then they are a disgrace to the practice of medicine, which is the noblest of all professions.

If what I heard about Olarte is true,   this guy is capable of mischief.

An acquaintance was two seats away from him on a Philippine Airlines flight from Manila to Laoag City on March 3.

According to my source, a flight attendant approached Olarte and asked him to fasten his seat belt,  but  he refused.

The flight attendant then told Olarte: “Sir, if you don’t fasten your seat belt, we will be constrained to offload you on this flight.”

Olarte complied but had the flight attendant fasten the seat belt for him, my source said.

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Parents are complaining about AirLink International Aviation College’s imposition of what they call unnecessary fees on its graduating students.

The alleged unnecessary fees amount to P60,000—P28,000 for a field trip to Cebu, P20,000 for the graduation ball and a P12,000  graduation fee. Students who don’t pay were warned that they will not be allowed to graduate.

Calling the attention of the Commission on Higher Education.