No organized but only few scattered corruption in PhilHealth, spokesperson says

There is no organized corruption but only a few scattered ones in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), the state insurer’s spokesperson said on Monday.

Interviewed on GMA Network’s Unang Hirit, PhilHealth vice president for corporate affairs and spokesperson Dr. Shirley Domingo said some employees were caught doing corruption in the past.

“I don't see it. There is no organized corruption there. But, I don't discount the possibility that there are a few scattered corruptions,” she said.

“May mga nahuli na kami n’yan in the past, sarili naming employees doing corruption,” she added.

According to Domingo, they filed cases against these employees and terminated them. But, she underscored that there is no big corruption syndicate in PhilHealth.

“No organized, big syndicate, big corruption. Hindi po tama 'yung sinabing kinuha namin, binulsa 'yung P15 billion na 'yan,” Domingo said.

“That went to the hospitals and dialysis centers, not to the pockets of officers of PhilHealth,” she added.

Last week, PhilHealth’s former anti-fraud legal officer Thorrsson Montes Keith claimed that a ‘’mafia” was able to steal some P15 billion from the state insurer through several fraudulent schemes.

He noted that the PhilHealth "mafia" has deep roots in the agency, including top officials in the executive committee.

Keith said among the fraudulent schemes being employed are the cash advances, the use of the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism, and the continuous procurement of IT equipment the agency already has.

The state insurer already denied the allegations.

Senate hearing

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said an 18-bed hospital in the Davao Region received P10 million from PhilHealth even if it had no COVID-19 case.

Zubiri said this would be brought up at the Senate hearing which will resume on Tuesday.

PhilHealth president and CEO Ricardo Morales and executive vice president Arnel De Jesus meanwhile disclosed over the weekend their unfavorable medical conditions to the Senate ahead of the continuation of the legislative probe into the alleged corruption.

According to a medical certificate submitted to the Senate Committee of the Whole, which is investigating the alleged corruption, Morales is undergoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed with lymphoma.

Morales however said his privacy was not respected when information from the medical certificate were disclosed.

On Sunday, PhilHealth underscored that Morales is willing to attend the Senate hearing on Tuesday, though he suggested his attendance would be done online because of his immuno-compromised state. 

The PhilHealth chief said on Monday he is seeking medical leave due to his condition.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana meanwhile said he believes Morales is not involved in the anomalies in the state insurer.

In a television interview on Monday, Lorenzana said Morales, a retired military general like him, could just be overwhelmed with the work at PhilHealth. He said he knows Morales personally as a man of integrity.

Aside from the Senate, an inter-agency task force was also created as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte to look into the allegations.

Caretaker

Meanwhile, PhilHealth employees have asked Duterte to appoint a temporary chief to oversee the state insurer while its top officials are under investigation.

But they said it should not be their chairman, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

"Subject din siya ng several investigations. he's not doing anything right now, as far as we know. Wala kaming nakikita eh. Hindi nga nag-issue ng statement ano bang nangyayari sa PhilHealth," said PhilHealth-WHITE national president Maria Fe Francisco.

Domingo however said that would be up to Duterte. —AOL/KG, GMA News