Valenzuela doctor denies faking COVID-19 test results

The doctor accused of faking COVID-19 test results in Valenzuela on Saturday denied the allegations, saying that the complaint was meant to harass him after he failed to follow the complainant’s requests.

Dr. Jovit Royales, the chief executive officer of Best Care and Diagnostic Center, was accused of faking results by Dr. Alma Onia, the medical director of a hospital in Bulacan.

“There is no truth to the allegations of Dr. Alma Onia/MMDC. Said allegations are merely meant to harass myself and BestCare after I turned down several of Dr. Onia’s requests,” Dr. Jovit Royales said in a report on “24 Oras Weekend.”

Royales said some of Onia’s requests include asking him “to get her a new Toyota Land Cruiser, to order medical supplies for MMDC on credit in [his] name” among others.

However, the former chief medical technologist of Best Care, the whistleblower on the case, claimed that Best Care was not conducting RT-PCR tests but anti-gen tests.

“Kung ano ‘yung result na lumabas doon sa anti-gen test… Re-release din namin sa result ng patient. Although the template itself is from the RT-PCR,” he said.

Onia also denied Royales’ claims.

“Bakit ako hihingi sa kaniya? ‘Yung totoo lang tayo. Huwag siyang gagawa ng ikakasira ng isang tao dahil lang sa pinaggagawa niya ngayon” Onia said.

Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian was also not satisfied with Royales’ explanation and that more complaints will be filed against him.

“Sabi nung complainant at saka nung whistle blower, in the clinic raw, kapag nag-positive ka ilalagay ka sa isang tabi tapos may tuturok sayo tapos may iba pang pasyente, iba rin ‘yung treatment, parang halo-halo sila,” Gatchalian said.

“That’s already a public safety issue. So we’re definitely shutting them down right now,” he added.

City authorities have suspended BestCare's business permit. — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News