Roque sues PhilHealth officials for graft in usurpation of CA decision

At least 11 former and incumbent officials of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) have been sued for graft, usurpation of judicial functions, and grave misconduct, among others before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly reversing a Court of Appeals ruling suspending an erring hospital in Cebu.

Lawyer-complainant Harry Roque, Jr. accused PhilHealth, then under its president Roy Ferrer, of committing criminal acts when it reversed a 2015 Court of Appeals (CA) decision suspending the Perpetual Succour Hospital Inc. in Cebu. The hospital was found guilty of two counts of extending a patient’s period of confinement in violation of the PhilHealth law.

The CA decision penalized Perpetual Succour with a three month suspension and a P10,000 fine, affirming an earlier PhilHealth decision. 

But PhilHealth ultimately reversed the CA decision and penalized the hospital with a mere P100,00 fine, and restitution of all benefits unncessarily paid for by PhilHealth.

Reversing the suspension order against Perpetual Succour cost the government at least P90 million of PhilHealth claims which should been paid to PhilHealth by the hospital while its operations were suspended, Roque alleged.

“Dahil sa korapsyon, nauubos po ang pera ng PhilHealth,” Roque further alleged.

“Sa pagsasampa po ng kaso sa pinakamatataas ng opisyal ng PhilHealth, ang mensahe po rito ay itigil niyo na po ang pagnanakaw sa PhilHealth,” the lawyer emphasized.

“Hayaan niyo na po na ang makinabang ay ang Pilipino,” he added.

 The other respondents to the case are Ruperto Aleroza, Celestina dela Serna, Eddie Dorotan, Joan Lareza, Hildegardes Dineros, Roberto Salvador Jr., Anthony Leachon, Charade Grande, Jonathan Mangaoang, Lora Mangasar, and Perpetual Succour Hospital of Cebu Inc. —VDS, GMA News