Hospital execs sued for detaining patient’s kin over bills

OLONGAPO CITY—Top officials of a private hospital here on Monday were charged with serious illegal detention by relatives of a patient who were allegedly held at the facility due to unpaid bills in exchange for the release of the patient’s remains.

Cousins James Angelo Fontillas and Nikko Fontillas filed a complaint against officials of Our Lady of Lourdes International Medical Center (OLLIMC) in the city prosecutor’s office, hours after the National Bureau of Investigation intervened and arranged for their release.

The complaint was filed against Dr. Noel Laxamana, OLLIMC president, and Tina Villegas, OLLIMC operations manager. They also sued hospital employees Dr. Bryan Soberon and Myra Villaflores.

The Fontillases said they were held inside the hospital “against their will” for three days when they failed to settle the family’s P800,000 bill.

The hospital was treating Adrian Fontillas, who suffered head injuries in a motorcycle accident in San Narciso town, Zambales province.

Adrian was transferred to

OLLIMC on Nov. 12 from San Marcelino District Hospital but he died on Nov. 21, according to the Fontillases’ joint affidavit.

But OLLIMC officials refuted their account.

Jonalyn Santos, OLLIMC admitting officer, said the cousins volunteered to stay in the hospital while other members of the family sought ways to pay the bill.

“We’re surprised that they filed a complaint against us. We already released their relative’s body and we didn’t detain any of them,” Santos said on Wednesday.

James, Adrian’s brother, said OLLIMC personnel refused to release Adrian’s body even after their family had advanced P310,000.

The hospital relented and released Adrian’s remains when the Fontillas cousins stayed at the hospital.

“Once we were inside the hospital, we were no longer allowed to leave by its security personnel,” the cousins said in their affidavit.

“We [had been] stay[ing] in the hospital since Nov. 21 against our will… and we couldn’t do anything about it,” they said, until members of the family asked the NBI to intervene.

NBI agents negotiated for the cousins’ release on Nov. 25.

Santos confirmed that the hospital had asked the family for collateral but she said the hospital did not force the cousins to stay nor were their movements restricted. Allan Macatuno, Inquirer Central Luzon