Zubiri seeks preventive suspension of PhilHealth's top management

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri on Wednesday urged the Office of the President to preventively suspend the top management of Philippine Health Insurance Corp (PhilHealth) following the Senate investigation on various corruption allegations.

In filing Resolution No. 502, the Senate leader said the Commission on Audit had already stressed during a hearing on Tuesday the uncooperativeness of PhilHealth in submission of pertinent documents.

He said those "involved in the alleged corruption and fraudulent schemes in the agency and those responsible for delay or refusal to submit documents pertinent to investigations carried out by the National Bureau of Investigation and the audit being conducted by the Commission on Audit" should vacate their posts.

Zubiri underscored that allowing these officials to remain in office would "give them time to tamper with, conceal or destroy important records."

Six PhilHealth regional vice presidents already went on leave while senior vice president Augustus de Villa resigned "out of delicadeza."

PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales is currently on medical leave as he is undergoing treatment for lymphoma.

Zubiri's resolution is up for adoption in the plenary session on Wednesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, he also welcomed the Ombudsman's order to suspend incumbent and former officials of PhilHealth.

"That is great news! A small victory in our fight against the corruption in the government’s health insurance agency. I totally laud the Ombudsman on this," Zubiri said in a message.

However, it was not yet clear which cases prompted the Ombudsman's  issuance of suspension order. -MDM, GMA News