PhilHealth exec resigns amid Senate probe on alleged corruption

Another Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) officer has resigned from the agency amid the ongoing congressional inquiries into the alleged corruption within the state insurer.

Senior Vice President Augustus de Villa, who was among the PhilHealth executives present at the Senate hearing on Tuesday, copy furnished Senate President Vicente Sotto III with his resignation letter dated August 6.

READ: Resignation letter of PhilHealth SVP for Operations Augustus De Villa dated August 6, 2020. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/C0yipOtxDk

— Dona Magsino (@donamagsino) August 6, 2020

"I hereby tender my irrevocable resignation, effective immediately... The Vice Chairman knows full well the reasons," it read.

"Be assured that I will make myself available for the ongoing investigations in aid of legislation in both Houses of the Congress of the Philippines," it added. 

Sotto said De Villa "must have a very good reason for resigning in the midst of the controversy."

During the legislative hearing, De Villa was asked to produce supposedly hidden documents in connection with the agency's intended procurement of allegedly overpriced ICT equipment.

'Others should resign, too'

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said other PhilHealth officials should follow suit.

"I think all senior executives should, out of delicadeza, resign. But unless [Health Secretary Francisco] Duque resigns then we will see little or no progress in effectively managing the pandemic," he said.

Earlier in the day, PhilHealth denied that its senior officials have pocketed P15 billion through several fraudulent schemes — an allegation made by former PhilHealth anti-fraud officer Thorrsson Montes Keith.

Keith's resignation letter surfaced after a so-called shouting match among PhilHealth executives took place in July. He cited "widespread corruption" within the state insurer as one of his reasons for leaving.

Estrobal Laborte, the head executive assistant of PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales, also resigned recently. He was supposed to serve as a witness at the Senate hearing but backed out at the last minute for "security reasons."

During the Senate hearing on Tuesday, PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales also denied protecting corrupt officials in the state health insurer.

The Senate hearing on the alleged irregularities in PhilHealth will continue on Tuesday next week. The House of Representatives is also conducting its investigation into the matter. — RSJ, GMA News