PACC probes leak that hit PhilHealth Region 1 office; documents, computers believed damaged

The Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) is looking into information that leak due to heavy rain has caused serious damage to PhilHealth's office in Region 1, which is currently under investigation.

Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV on Thursday, PACC Commissioner Greco Belgica said agents from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have been sent to the area to verify the information.

"I received the report kagabi, mga alas diyes na, pinatignan ko po agad sa NBI at bina-validate... basically tsine-check kung ano talaga ang nangyari doon," he said.

Belgica said PhilHealth Region 1 office is under investigation over its alleged inaction on at least 200 alleged fraudulent claims, some of them involving "ghost patients."

He said the damage to documents and computer systems caused by the supposed  leak is worrisome, given the pending investigation. "Siyempre this endangers yung mga documents tsaka yung mga computer systems,"  he said.

Belgica, however, said the PACC, which started probing PhilHealth last year, is already in possession of important documents to push through with its investigation, although he admitted that recent cases "could be compromised" in case other documents are ruined by the leak.

"Ang maaaring maapektuhan ay yung mga bagong issues ngayon gaya ng IRM," he said, referring to the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM), a system where the PhilHealth pays hospitals and healthcare facilities in advance for insurance claims, to ensure that they could function in crises.

The IRM has since been suspended by PhilHealth, amid issues hounding the payment system, particularly accusations that a bulk of it has gone to favored hospitals.

Belgica, during a Senate hearing weeks ago, said PhilHealth has no validation mechanism, a situation which meant the agency is exposing P2 billion to P3 billion of its payouts to corruption on a weekly basis.

One of the officials slapped with a six-month suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman was from Region 1, Belgica said.

Malacañang has already formed a task force to probe alleged anomalies in PhilHealth.

Dobol B sa News TV said it contacted PhilHealth Regional Vice President Albert Manduriao for his comment, but he was not answering the calls.

GMA News has also reached out to PhilHealth deputy spokesman Rey Baleña, but he has yet to respond as of posting time.

Senate probe ends

Meanwhile, the Senate Committee of the Whole has wrapped up its investigation on the alleged irregularities in PhilHealth and is now ready to draft its report.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III described the hearings as a "carousel of denials and lies."

"I think General Morales should just appear before the Department of Justice together with his Execomm and other officials, and later with the Ombudsman. I'm formulating the committee report soon," Sotto said in a message, referring to PhilHealth president and CEO Ricardo Morales, a retired military general. —Llanesca T. Panti/KBK, GMA News