Paranormal haunt

An official of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said its headquarters in Malate is being purged or exorcised to clear it of ghost employees.

The source indicated two high-ranking officials of the central bank who are suspected of hiring ghost employees, if found guilty, will be penalized according to an order of the Palace.

The source said a whistleblower claimed four ghost employees are also already being investigated. If such claims are true, the employees will be required to return the amounts of salaries they illegally received.

The source added one of the suspected high-ranking officials is the sponsor of three ghost employees.

Law-defying hospital

A known comedian through his vlog, revealed that a government health institution withheld an oxygen apparatus that his father needed since they were not able to deposit P20,000 for it, a cruelty that is considered an offense under Anti-Deposit Law or Republic Act 10932.

In his socmed page, the comedian said he was on his way home after bringing his father for confinement his father when his brother told him that he had to return to deposit P20,000 for his father to be attached to the breathing apparatus.

His father passed away after hours of ordeal in the hospital and the treatment that could have saved him was not applied because of the absence of the deposit.

The TV personality narrated that he had to rush back to the hospital to bring the deposit but the heavy Manila traffic kept him for hours which was crucial for his father who was then gasping for breath.

The Anti-Hospital Deposit Law was meant to outlaw the practice of hospitals and medical clinics from demanding deposits or advance payments before providing emergency care or medical treatment.

The hospital should be held liable under the law which authorities and those who crafted the measure must ensure

No free pass

The Senate Committee on Energy believes it is the best time to “scrutinize” the “grantee” of a new franchise that would be a good way of putting public accountability in play.

“The price, for example, since they buy power, and the service which includes connection, brownouts, speed of repairing lines, etc,” the head of the panel stated.

The House is deliberating on a bill that seeks to extend an existing franchise, which will expire in four years or 2028 but the bill has not yet secured support from the Senate.

“Typically, the franchise emanates from the House. We cannot move until they transmit the franchise to the Senate. So, that’s how the process works. No one has filed yet a franchise renewal with the Senate.”

“In this case, I think we will have to wait for the House to transmit it,” the senator said.