Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) — Taguig City “unreasonably” rejected Makati City’s proposal for a “smooth transfer” of health facilities and services in barangays affected by the Supreme Court decision on their territorial dispute, according to the latter’s city administrator.
In a statement Sunday, Makati City administrator Claro Certeza said Taguig denied their proposed memorandums of agreement (MOA), impeding the transfer of Ospital ng Makati (OsMak) and eight barangay health centers and the health data of their patients.
\”We have initiated a series of correspondence and MOA proposals to the City of Taguig aimed to facilitate the smooth transfer of Makati-owned health facilities to its jurisdiction,\” Certeza said. \”However, these have been rejected outright, without valid reason.\”
The Makati official argued that Taguig is \”adamant\” about taking control of OsMak and the barangay health centers without respecting Makati’s ownership rights.
Certeza cited Makati Mayor Abby Binay’s letter to Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano as evidence that the former suggested an MOA for OsMak and offered to grant a credit line to Taguig in order to ensure that impacted residents could continue to access basic medical services at these institutions.
\”Makati is even willing to allocate millions in funding for this credit line to Taguig to avoid any disruption in health care services. Yet, Mayor Cayetano refused to even consider the proposal, opting to put off any discussions regarding OsMak, purportedly in deference to the wishes of the Health Secretary,\” Certeza said.
According to Certeza, Cayetano in a letter justified her rejection of the OsMak proposal, citing Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa as having stated that he would \”take the lead in any discussions regarding Ospital ng Makati, and that both cities must defer to his wishes.\”
He further said Taguig also refused Makati’s proposed data sharing agreement which aims to safeguard the information of patients of the health centers in Cembo, Comembo, East Rembo, Pembo, Pitogo, Rizal, South Cembo, and West Rembo.
Certeza claimed that Cayetano also rejected another proposal that would have given Taguig the option to lease or buy the land for eight health centers, subject to Commission of Audit appraisal, citing Herbosa’s instruction to \”exclude the issue of ownership in the transition process.\”
\”Makati is going out of its way to work out a smooth transition with Taguig, but it is apparently hell-bent on taking over and gaining control of city-owned public facilities without due process. It persists in unduly invoking the Supreme Court decision while refusing to obtain a writ of execution from the court of origin,\” Certeza said.
