LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – A nursing student filed both administrative and criminal charges against two doctors of the Benguet General Hospital (BGH).
Mary, not her real name, 19, filed charges against doctors Relante Raper, a surgeon and Elmer Jimenez, a general practitioner under the sexual harassment law with immorality and acts unbecoming of a doctor.
Mary, in her affidavit, said on December 1, she was assigned to assist in a surgical operation procedure and the attending physicians were Raper and Jimenez.
While the operation was going on, Raper suddenly asked her, “Do you believe that we made a book with doc [Jimenez]? It says in the book we made that those assisting in mastectomy must undergo examination because there is a possibility that they too may have a breast mass.”
“I was shocked with the question, since it already had a sexual intonation in it, however I just kept quiet.” said Mary.
Allegedly, Raper continued to ask Mary, “So miss [Mary] do you believe? Are you willing to have yourself examined by us after the operation?”
The nursing student said she felt very uncomfortable, intimidated and harassed.
“Considering that the first statement pertained to breast examination, the next question pertained to his desire to examine my breast,” she claimed.
Raper also asked about the job of Mary’s father. When she told them, “Philippine Navy po,” Raper allegedly told Jimenez, “Patay tayo dito.”
Jimenez then said, “Ok lang doc, may eight hours pa tayo tumakas.”
“I already felt fear and anger with their comments and insinuations, but I still held my temper because they were doctors and among our training officers.” Mary said.
Mary added, “Despite all the sexual harassment they have hurled upon me that day, I just kept quiet until my duty for the next day was finished, but deep down inside me I was trembling with fear, anger and grief…”
On December 2, she was again assigned to render duty at the operating room, again to assist the same doctors.