Wednesday, May 21, 2008 Jan-jan asks ombud on plea for DOH to stay off, privacy
GENARO Jorolan, also known as Jan-Jan, has filed a motion before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas asking the latter to take over the ongoing investigation of the hospital workers who performed his operation.
Jorolan and his lawyer Guiller Ceniza also asked the anti-graft office to have the Department of Health (DOH) turn over to them all documents and information related to the case.
Copy of motion
In an interview with Sun.Star Cebu, Ceniza said the DOH has yet to receive a copy of their motion, which they filed yesterday.
In an interview aired over radio dyLA last Thursday, DOH Undersecretary Alexander Padilla said the DOH would be ready to turn over the investigation to the Ombudsman, should the latter ask for it.
Ceniza said they prefer to have the Ombudsman take over the case because the anti-graft office charged 14 doctors and nurses of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), while the DOH charged only six.
Through a non-evasive procedure, the medical team successfully removed a perfume canister from Jorolan’s rectum last Jan. 3.
Uploaded
A video of the operation was uploaded in the video-sharing website YouTube, which prompted Jorolan to sue the doctors and nurses involved in the operation.
Also included in the motion is for the Ombudsman to direct the media to refrain from using Jorolan’s real name in their reports, and to use an alias instead.
“This is because of the sensitivity of the issue and the privacy of the person,” said Ceniza.
Earlier, Ceniza said that Jorolan should be treated as a rape victim and the media should therefore withhold his real name.
If the motion is approved, the media would have to stop using Jorolan’s real name in their reports. Otherwise, their camp would be forced to take legal actions against the reporters, Ceniza added. (EPB)
