MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) chief administrative officer Clarita Avila on Wednesday, April 15, confirmed that she has been reassigned to the Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Las Piñas. 

“There is no reason whatsoever. I was not even called. They did not give me any explanation why I was reassigned. I can only surmise it’s because of the exposé I made,” Avila told Rappler. 

Avila made headlines last week when she spoke out about the hospital’s non-response to the coronavirus pandemic, prompting NCMH chief Roland Cortez to issue a memo ordering her to stop giving statements to media. (READ: NCMH chief gags exec over hospital’s coronavirus response)

In a GMA News report on April 8, Avila said that the Mandaluyong-based mental facility has 34 confirmed coronavirus cases, 28 of whom are health workers.

She also disclosed that some NCMH workers do not report for work anymore due to the hospital’s lack of personal protective equipment and medical supplies.

ABS-CBN News posted two orders from the Department of Health (DOH) and the NCMH with different dates, March 9 and April 13, respectively. The two orders, however, contained the same thing, saying that Avila has been reassigned to the drug rehabilitation facility to “assist the current officer-in-charge in managing and making the facility operational.” 

Avila suspected that the DOH order was antedated so that the public wouldn’t connect the recent development to her exposé. 

“They are really smart,” she added. 

Avila said that she is considering a legal action regarding the order. “I’ve been working here for 30 years. And I’m going to seek legal remedies.”

In a text message sent to Rappler Wednesday night, Cortez said that the request of transfer was due to Avila’s “unsatisfactory performance” and not directly related to her coronavirus “expose.” 

“Wala siyang ginagawa sa hospital at wala siyang output and performance sa civil service. Hindi ‘yan sumusunod sa basic civil service rule kaya siya tinanggal,” Cortez said. 

(She doesn’t do anything in the hospital and doesn’t have any output and performance in civil service. She does not follow basic civil service rules that’s why she was relieved.) – Rappler.com