JOs and faking signatures

Ben  Contreras

DOCUMENTS sent to my house show 435 “job order” appointments submitted by JR Borja Memorial General Hospital overseer Dr. Ramon Nery. The certification of fund availability was made by Ma. Lourdes Baculio, supervising administrative officer of City Personnel Office, acting city treasurer Ramon Antonio Mendoza, city accountant Beda Joy Elot, and Mayor Oscar Moreno.

Of the 435, 128 are administrative aides III, each with a salary of P472.77 a day, 13 administrative aides IV (P508.23 a day), three cash clerks I (P508.23/day), an engineer I (unclear salary rate), four medical officers III (P1,795.14/day), five medical technologists I (P843.14/day), 11 midwives I (P729.59/day), 187 nurses I (P843.14/day), 63 nurse attendants I (P508.23/day), two pharmacists I (P843.14/day), a pharmacist II (P1,131.23/day), four radiologic technologists I (P843.14/day), 10 guards (P472.77/day), two social welfare aides (P508.23/day) and a statistician (P843.14/day).

All are for the period of July 1 to Aug. 31, 2017. What’s so special with these two months to merit the hiring of 435 JOs?

Here’s more. Another 21 medical officers II (P1,795.14), two midwives I (P729.14), a social welfare officer I (P843.14), and two guards (P472.77).

I studied the signatures. Except for the mayor’s, the rest seem okay. Moreno’s signature resembles that of an ovary or a mantis spreading its long spiny arms. It could also look like a Kung Fu fighter doing the mantis position.

Frankly speaking, I can copy that if given just one chance to watch the stroke. I did it for one politician before.

I am reminded of that story about five people who allegedly signed papers or documents on Moreno’s behalf. One is said to have do it almost perfectly. Why? I leave that to the imagination of our readers.

Going back to the JOs, we ask: How many of these people are real? One hundred and forty-one administrative aides III are a lot. One hundred and eighty-seven nurses I plus 63 nurse-attendants are a lot. Where are these people stationed?

Councilor George Goking and Dr. Nery were once very close. They were always seen together. Allegedly, Goking used Nery to get close to Moreno. Apparently, Goking got what he wanted, joined Moreno’s ticket and won a seat in the city council. Thanks to Nery, right? Wrong. The two are said to be at loggerheads.

Did Goking smell something fishy about what’s going on in the hospital? I heard of the band playing music, the drinking and the ante room. But these could be just intrigues. Or it could be true.

If the animosity between the two worsens, either of the two would likely spill the beans.

The document sender sent me this message later in the day: “More are coming your way.”

By the way, at the top right corner, it reads: “Source of Funds: Trust Fund –Philhealth (JR Borja General Hospital) 6/19/17 CAF issued 16,938,454.00.”

Maybe I should ask the sender what this means.

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The transition team of incoming Phividec CEO and administrator Franklin Quijano has had a two-day stint in the area, a day of briefing with the administrator’s staff and another, a meeting with all the department heads.

Alas, it has a similar problem with the Land Transportation Office about vacant plantilla positions with lots of JOs. Thank God, the days of JOs will soon be gone effective next month. I’ll write about this next time and perhaps, more lengthily.