Police eye obstruction charges vs Rizal hospital

Charges of obstruction of justice are being eyed against doctors of the Rizal Medical Center for their continued refusal to cooperate in a police probe of the death of seven infants there. Pasig police investigators tasked by city police chief Sr. Supt. Francisco Uyami Jr to handle the case said the doctors have so far refused to talk to them. "Their refusal to cooperate may force us to file charges of obstruction of justice against them. Up to now, they have not even furnished copies of records we have sought," dzBB radio quoted the investigators as saying. Investigators also said the seeming refusal of the doctors to cooperate may also lead to the filing of possible charges of negligence resulting to homicide against them. "We will take their refusal to talk to us as a waiver of their right to air their side," they said. On Monday, Pasig police started their parallel investigation into the deaths of the seven infants due to neonatal sepsis, or bacterial infection. The Health Department had formed its own high-level investigating body to look into the deaths. Police investigators added they are now communicating with the families of the infants to help them file a class suit against officials of the medical center. Police are currently talking to the families of Rommel Gumida (Taguig), Alison Villarosa (Pinagbuhatan, Pasig), Christine Roxas (Bambang, Pasig), Marco Parungao (Mandaluyong), Noel Ontangco (Taguig), Alyson dela Cruz (Plain View, Mandaluyong), and Baby Boy Tolentino (Pembo, Makati). As early as Monday, Uyami complained that the hospital's doctors "declined" to cooperate with operatives from the Special Investigation Branch. "Our investigators went there but the doctors refused to give us information without permission from their director," Uyami said. Uyami said the reason for the parallel investigation is to determine criminal liability of the doctors and officials of Rizal Medical Center. "The cause of the deaths is either negligence or intentional. Either way, there is criminal liability," he said. Initial investigation by the Pasig police indicated that at least 12 infants suffered from neo-natal sepsis, seven of whom died. "We just want to discover the truth. We have talked to some of the mothers," Uyami said. - GMANews.TV