Garcia Hernandez mayor Tita Baja answered the show cause order issued by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in relation to the allegations that the former violated health and safety protocol and secured a certificate of indigency to get financial assistance to pay her hospital bill.
Baja sent her reply to DILG Sec. Eduardo Año thru Usec. Epimaco Densing on Aug. 2, 2021.
Baja claimed that she never instructed her staff to secure a certiticate of indigency. Upon investigation, the mayor said it was an honest mistake on the part of the staff tasked to fulfill the requirements to obtain financial help from Malacañang to help pay the mayor’s hospital bill.
Baja further alleged that the Punong Barangay signed the certificate of indigency not knowing that it was for the Garcia-Hernandez mayor.
The mayor said the certificate of indigency was stolen and alleged that a copy landed in the hands of the mayor’s political opponents,
She said her municipal administrator made a letter request for financial assistance to Malacañang because her hospital bill amounting to P181,941.58 was not reduced due to a conflict with her name with Philhealth.
Ultimately, after her documents with Philheath were corrected her bill was reduced to P86,812.29.
She claims that the documents needed to secure financial assistance were never forwarded to Malacañang.
As for the allegation for protocol violation, Baja submitted a medical certificate that she already completed her quarantine after catching Coronavirus disease (Covid).
The said medical certificate was signed by Dr. Enriquieto Acenas on July 12, 2021 saying the mayor was fully recovered from Covid as of July 3, 2021.
The allegation was Baja met with Sen. Christopher Go and Sec. Harry Roque on July 11, 2021 and that the mayor was supposed to be under quarantine.