CHR demands transparency, urges PhilHealth to prove funds are used properly

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Wednesday called on the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to prove that public funds are used properly amid corruption allegations.

In a statement, CHR spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia said that corruption, in all forms, destroys the enjoyment of human rights and betrays the public interest.

“We demand transparency and assurance that public funds entrusted to the corporation are properly disbursed and accounted for,” she said in a press statement.

“The fight against corruption is central to the struggle for human rights, as corruption has always been the great enabler of exploitation and injustice anywhere," she added.

CHR also expressed support on the ongoing investigations being conducted by the Senate, Office of the President, and the Commission on Audit to hold involved officials accountable.

“In the health sector and in other segments of bureaucracy, corruption does not only affect the right of everyone to the highest attainable standard, but it also damages the legitimacy of leaders to a loss of public support and trust for state and government institutions,” De Guia said.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the CHR said government should protect and fulfill its human right obligations and deliver relevant services like in judiciary law enforcement and health, among others.

“These alleged irregularities undermine the State’s human rights commitment to maximise available resources for the progressive realisation of rights, as recognized in Article 2 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights,” she said.

“Efforts to control corruption, such as reforms in political structures, rule of law, and governance among others, are vital for national health care systems to work optimally,” she added.

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

He noted that the "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.

PhilHealth has denied the allegations.—AOL, GMA News