ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | Dec. 17, 2024
Dear Chief Acosta,
Bago lamang ako sa aking trabaho sa isang ospital. Bahagi ng tungkulin ko ang tumanggap at magtala ng mga impormasyon ng mga pasyente. Kamakailan ay napag-alaman ko na ang isang malapit sa buhay ng nobyo ko ay sumailalim sa pagsusuri kaugnay sa sakit na AIDS at alam ko rin ang naging resulta. Nahahati ang loob ko kung sasabihin ko ba ito sa nobyo ko o hindi. Sa isang banda, iniisip ko na mahalaga na malaman ito ng nobyo ko dahil nga ang taong ito ay malapit sa kanyang buhay, ngunit sa kabilang banda ay iniisip ko na baka ikapahamak ko iyon. Mayroon kasi na nakapagsabi sa akin na maaaring maparusahan ang nagsisiwalat ng mga kumpidensyal na impormasyon ukol sa naturang sakit. Ano ba ang sinasabi ng ating batas ukol dito? Sana ay malinawan ninyo ako. — Nancy
Dear Nancy,
Sa ilalim ng Republic Act (R.A.) No. 11166, o mas kilala bilang “Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act”, pinalawig at pinagtibay ang mga polisiya na nagbibigay proteksyon sa mga indibidwal na apektado ng Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) at Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Ang isa sa mga garantiya na nakasaad sa ilalim ng nasabing batas ay ang pagpapanatili ng mga kumpidensyal na impormasyon ukol sa mga indibidwal na nasuri, na-expose, mayroon, nagamot, o ginagamot sa sakit na HIV at AIDS. Malinaw na nakasaad sa Sections 44 at 45 ng R.A. No. 11166:
“Section 44. Confidentiality. - The confidentiality and privacy of any individual who has been tested for HIV, has been exposed to HIV, has HIV infection or HIV- and AIDS-related illnesses, or was treated for HIV-related illnesses shall be guaranteed. The following acts violate confidentiality and privacy:
Disclosure of Confidential HIV and AIDS Information. - Unless otherwise provided in Section 45 of this Act, it shall be unlawful to disclose, without written consent, information that a person has AIDS, has undergone HIV-related test, has HIV infection or HIV-related illnesses, or has been exposed to HIV.
The prohibition shall apply to any person, natural or juridical, whose work or function involves the implementation of this Act, or the delivery of HIV-related services, including those who handle or have access to personal data or information in the workplace, and who, pursuant to the receipt of the required written consent from the subject of confidential HIV and AIDS information, have subsequently been granted access to the same confidential information.
x x x
Section 45. Exceptions. - Confidential HIV and AIDS information may be released by HIV testing facilities without consent in the following instances:
When complying with reportorial requirements of the national active passive surveillance system of the DOH: Provided, That the information related to a person’s identify shall remain confidential;
When informing other health workers directly involved in the treatment or care of a PLHIV: Provided, That such worker shall be required to perform the duty of shared medical confidentiality; and
When responding to a subpoena duces tecum and subpoena ad testificandum issued by a court with jurisdiction over a legal proceeding where the main issue is the HIV status of an individual: Provided, That the confidential medical record, after having been verified for accuracy by the head of the office or department, shall remain anonymous and unlinked and shall be properly sealed by its lawful custodian, hand delivered to the court, and personally opened by the judge: Provided, further, That the judicial proceedings be held in executive session.”
Sa inilapit mo na sitwasyon, maaari mo lamang ipagbigay-alam sa iyong nobyo ang impormasyon na napag-alaman mo ukol sa kanyang mahal sa buhay kung ang naturang tao ay magbibigay sa iyo ng nasusulat na pahintulot o written consent. Kung wala nito ay hindi mo maaaring isiwalat o ibahagi ang anumang kumpidensyal na impormasyon ukol sa kanya.
Bagaman mayroong mga pagbubukod sa panuntunan na partikular na nakasaad sa Section 45 ng R.A. No. 11166, tila hindi saklaw ng alinman sa mga nabanggit na kinikilalang exceptions ng batas ang gagawin mong pagsisiwalat. Mainam na bigyang-diin na kung ikaw ay lalabag sa panuntunan ng confidentiality, maaari kang mapatawan ng parusa na pagkakakulong at/o fine. Nakasaad sa Section 50 ng R.A. No. 11166:
“Section 50. Penalties. –
x x x
(f) Any person who violates the provisions of Section 44 of this Act on confidentiality shall, upon conviction, suffer the following penalties:
(1) Six months to two (2) years of imprisonment for any person who breaches confidentiality, and/or a fine of not less than Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00), but not more than One hundred fifty thousand pesos (P150,000.00), at the discretion of the court;
(2) Two years and one (1) day to five (5) years of imprisonment for any person who causes the mass dissemination of the HIV status of a person, including spreading the information online or making statements to the media, and/or a fine of not less than One hundred fifty thousand pesos (P150,000.00), but not more than Three hundred fifty thousand pesos (P350,000.00), at the discretion of the court; and
(3) Five years and one (1) day to seven (7) years of imprisonment for any health professional, medical instructor, worker, employer, recruitment agency, insurance company, data encoder, and other custodian of any medical record, file, data, or test result who breaches confidentiality, and/or a fine of not less than Three hundred fifty thousand pesos (P350,000.00), but not more than Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00), at the discretion of the court.
These penalties are without prejudice to any administrative sanction or civil suit that may be bought against persons who violate confidentiality under this Act.”
Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang iyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa mga impormasyon na iyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng iyong salaysay.
Maraming salamat sa iyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.
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