Justice Served for Filipino Male Nurse, Dioscoro (Roy) Flores

By: Veronica Leighton

 

It had been more than a year of HELL of torture (started in August 2013) for soft-spoken, unassuming Filipino male nurse Roy Flores, 39, a native of Iloilo. Roy was unfairly accused of sexual misconduct by a quadriplegic patient, age 24, at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC). Roy was charged with felony, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, and battery.

I personally invited Roy and Ms. Alma Jamarohum (the current President of the Philippine Nurses Association of Illinois) to the CPRTV studio to talk about Roy’s recent life’s dilemma. Frankly speaking, Roy’s police mug shot posted online does not do him justice as he posseses a cherubic face and shy smile coupled with his very sweet Ilonggo accent.

Roy expressed on CPRTV interview that he is just very thankful to God that this bitter stage in his life is now over, that he is very thankful to his family, many friends and supporters (personal and social media) for the overwhelming support and advice not to lose hope all along. Looking back, he said quietly fighting back tears, “the feeling of humiliation trying to answer all the queries from concerned people here and from my old hometown and school, were just unbearable for me. I am very thankful to the PNAI (headed by Alma) who did not leave me alone, they were there through all the hearings, postponement or no postponement, to the Philippine Consulate General, to Ms. Loida Lewis, and Miss Isabel Juan for the fundraising support.”

Our warm thank you to Ms. Alma Jaromahum, who, in spite of her hectic nursing schedules, took time off to be interviewed with Roy on a very cold February day. Alma stated that her PNAI organization is always ready to defend the innocent nursing professionals who could get in trouble with the law in this country through no fault of theirs, like in the case of Roy Flores. Shr added that the more-than-50-yeard-old organization is always open for memberships among her nursing colleagues.

An online report from Huffington Post states, “The soldier has quadriplegia after an incident in Afghanistan. He was able to describe the two alleged assaults that happened between July 4 and Aug. 6 to his father, using eye motions to communicate and a “spell board.”

The father approached the staff at the rehabilitation institute, who told him an internal investigation would be conducted and that Flores would no longer work near his son, according to a police report. The father also contacted police.

It was after the second alleged incident in August that the victim told his father, according to The Daily Mail. The soldier raises his eyes for yes and lowers them for no, and uses a board to spell out questions.

“The first initial shock was just, did you just tell me what you told me? Because my communication with him isn’t really easy,” the father told the Tribune.

The son remains an active member of the military and was a sharpshooter who did a tour of duty in Afghanistan from June 2011 until August 2012. The soldier’s quadriplegia stems from an injury in May. The father declined to go into further detail.

“Mentally, he’s 100 percent there,” he said of his son.

Chicago police, prosecutors and the institute conducted a thorough investigation, the father said.

Flores was arrested and charged with felony aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to Fox News.

He’s is being held on a $50,000 bond.”

Last year, we formed a group to support the legal defense of Dioscoro (Roy) Flores, R. N., who was unfairly accused of sexual misconduct. We brought the matter to Loida Nicolas Lewis, who interviewed Roy for two hours, while in Chicago. Based on her interview, Loida found Roy innocent. Loida and Isabel Juan took the case to the attention of Ambassador Cuisia and the Philippine Consulate General of Chicago. The Philippine Nurses Association of America Chicago Chapter president and its members faithfully attended hearings and fundraisers.

Warm congratulations to Roy for receiving justice, NOT GUILTY BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT.

Our special thank you to Ms. Grace Villamora, active community leader, for sharing and keeping us updated about Roy’s humbling experience that resulted to his triumph. Amen.

 

YOUNG FILIPINO MOVERS & SHAKERS

Young Allan Adajar, in his mid-thirties, and a Filipino physician practicing in Chicago, specializes in a new field of surgery called Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery.

Alan developed a new technique in surgical procedure where he performs complex surgeries, including hysterectomies, using miniaturized laparoscopic instruments and a miniaturized camera.

He says, “I am only aware of three other surgeons in the country performing an inferior variation of the surgery I am performing. Stopping all pain medications, including Advil, four days after a hysterectomy, is just to name one of the benefits of this new technique.”

He sent us two links on youtube for a video demonstration of a surgery, as well as the scarless incisions that result… http://youtu.be/vJXeyseQIRY http://youtu.be/G529yL73KpY

Dr. Allan Adajar added, “Although this option is available for treatment option to all women, because lack of awareness, most women are still having a traditional open hysterectomy. I believe Via Times is the perfect vehicle to raise awareness in our community, as a viable option for treatment common women’s health issues.”

Interviewed by Veronica on CPRTV, half-Filipino, half-Thai, very young Dr. Diane Sabenacio Nititham is Chair of the Social Science and Co-Chair of the Public Policy and Administration programs at National Lewis University. She holds a doctorate in Sociology from University College Dublin and an MA in Social and Cultural Foundations in Education from DePaul University. Her research areas include the intersections of diaspora, race/ethnicity, migration; transnational social practices, and feminist critiques of home and belonging. Her current work explores how notions of identity and diaspora for Filipino and Irish communities in Chicago are created, sustained and enacted through the consumption of food, drink, and celebratory activities.

Diane hosts the “Discussion about Transgressing Boundaries Through Language,” as part of NLU Lecture Series on policy of interest at a local, regional and global level. The next event, “Reconceptualizing Displacement, Mobility, and Belonging: Transgressing Boundaries Through Language Amongst Filipinas in Ireland” will focus on her work., as an Assistant Professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at NLU.

She will share her findings from research with Filipinas in Ireland. She will discuss how language is a strategy for negotiating relationships across borders, as outlined in her forthcoming ethnography entitled, “Making Home in Diasporic Communities: Power, Gender and Belonging amongst Filipina Migrants” (Ashgate 2015).

The discussion will be held at the NLU’s Atrium on the 2nd floor, 122 N. Michigan Ave., on Feb. 19, 2015, from 5:30 to 6:30PM Educators, students, and community members are invited to attend.

 

An intimate exclusive interview with male nurse, Dioscoro “Roy” Flores and PNAI President Alma Jamarohum, hosted by Veronica, at the CPRTV studio last February 2nd.

Dr. Allan Adajar discussing with Joe Mauricio on CPRTV the “Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery,” which he developed.
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