ARGUABLY, NO other employee of the provincial government has had more rows with the powers that be at the Capitol than Dr. Eddie Ponio, chief of the provincial hospital.
Since inheriting the post from the late Dr. Guanlao – his first name eludes me now – in the end-term of Gov. Lito Lapid, Ponio has served as some sort of a goalless football, kicked around aimlessly, on whimsy.
Suspension here, reassignment there, redeployment here, temporary posting there. It was during the term of Gov. Eddie T. Panlilio though that the rigodon came to a head.
In May 2008, Panlilio issued a memorandum order temporarily assigning Dr. Romulo Lacson as acting chief of the Diosdado Macapagal Memorial Hospital (DMMH) effective June 3, 2008 and requesting Ponio to report to the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
Ponio sought relief with the Civil Service Commission and contested Panlilio’s order. His main argument:
His appointment paper as provincial health officer I (PHO1) specified DMMH as work station. And therefore, he could not be reassigned somewhere else.
Even as Ponio’s case was pending before the CSC, Panlilio issued Memorandum Order No. 73 designating Ponio as acting chief of the Ricardo P. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital effective June 24, 2008 to September 23, 2008.
Ponio then filed before the CSC an urgent motion to issue a restraining order on the implementation of Panlilio’s Memorandum Order No. 37.
Again, pending the resolution of the urgent motion filed by Ponio, Panlilio issued Memorandum No. 55 dated September 22, 2008 recalling Ponio and directing him to report to the PHO as PHO-1 hospital administrator.
Again, Ponio took his case to the CSC.
Taking cognizance of Ponio’s position, the CSC ruled in his favour issuing Resolution No. 09-0819, dated June 2, 2009 and CSC Resolution No. 09-1555 dated Nov. 19, 2009 calling for the immediate reinstatement of Ponio to the DMMH.
Obstinate as he was when it came to his decisions, Gov. Panlilio filed a petition for review with the Court of Appeals.
In a decision signed February 16, 2012 but only obtained last week, the CA 10th Division affirmed the CSC resolutions thus:
“The instant Petition for Review is denied and Civil Service Commission (CSC) Resolution No. 09-0819 dated June 2, 2009 and CSC Resolution No. 09-1555 dated Nov. 19, 2009 are hereby affirmed.”
The decision cited Section 10, Rule VII of the Omnibus Civil Service Rules and Regulations that “a reassignment is the movement of an employee from one unit to another in the same department or agency which does not involve a reduction in rank, status or salaries and does not require the issuance of an appointment.”
“While concededly the law (specifically the Revised Administrative Code) recognizes reassignment as a management prerogative vested in any department or agency of government embraced in the civil service, it is however subject to certain rules,” the CA decision said.
“Thus, Section 6 (3) of the Revised Rules on Reassignment under Civil Service Commission Resolution No. 04-1458 provides: Reassignment of employees with station-specific place of work indicated in their respective appointments shall be allowed only for a maximum period of one (1) year,” it added.
“An appointment is considered station-specific when the particular office or station where the position is located is specifically indicated on the face of the appointment paper…
Station-specific appointment does not refer to a specified plantilla item number since it is used for purposes of identifying the particular position to be filled or occupied by the employee,” it said.
Specified in Ponio’s appointment paper as PHO1 is the DMMH as station.
“Wherefore, the appeal of Dr. Eddie G. Ponio, provincial health officer I, Diosdado P. Macapagal Memorial Hospital (DMMH) is hereby granted.”
Ruled the decision signed by Associate Justices Jose Reyes, Priscilla Padilla and Agnes Carpio:
“Accordingly, Memorandum No. 37 dated June 28, 2008 and Memorandum No. 55 dated September 22, 2008 issued by Eddie T. Panlilio, [former] governor, Province of Pampanga, reassigning him to the Ricardo P. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and subsequently recalling him to report to the Provincial Health Office (PHO) at San Fernando, Pampanga, respectively, is hereby Reversed and Set Aside.”
And so the Court ordered: “Governor Panlilio is directed to restore Ponio to his original station as Provincial Health Officer I at Diosdado P. Macapagal Memorial Hospital.”
And so the people ordered: Governor Panlilio was directed to step down from the Capitol. And is now trying to restore himself to the priesthood.
Soon as Gov. Lilia G. Pineda ascended the Capitol, Ponio was restored to the DMMH – hey, drop the “memorial” there already or haven’t you heard of the guideline of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines that says:
“In the naming of public places after people, the use of the word ‘memorial’ should be deleted as it is already understood that the person being honoured is already deceased.”
All’s well that ends well now with Ponio at the helm at the Diosdado Macapagal Hospital? Not quite. But that is another story, ay, a lot of other stories. Better left to ace reporter Joey Pavia’s investigative talents.
