Belgica: PhilHealth 'top-notcher' on PACC's list of gov't agencies under probe

PhilHealth has become number one on the list of government agencies being investigated for corruption by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), according to the commission's chief, Greco Belgica, on Wednesday.

"For a long time it has been Customs, BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue), DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways), DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources), marami hong may resulta doon. Ngayon top-notcher ho ang PhilHealth," Belgica told Dobol B sa News TV.

"We're happy na every year iniimbestigahan ang PhilHealth pero it is the first time na naging ganito ang resulta — unang-una nakita natin may na-create na task force ang Pangulo to combine all of us investigating bodies," he added.

Amid the controversy, PhilHealth president and CEO Ricardo Morales is set to submit his resignation letter on Wednesday after President Rodrigo Duterte said it would be best for him to leave his post due to his unstable health condition.

On the same day, PhilHealth senior vice president for the legal sector Rodolfo del Rosario Jr. announced on social media that he has tendered his irrevocable resignation, saying "character assassination, trial by publicity, and relentless persecution" has left him "in so much agony."

Probe almost done

Belgica, during the interview, said the task force — which includes PACC, Department of Justice, Civil Service Commission, National Bureau of Investigation, Commission on Audit, Office of the Ombudsman, and Anti-Money Laundering Council — is almost done with its investigation.

"Almost finished na kami, mga two weeks na lang siguro po, a little over two [weeks]. Natuwa nga ho kami kasi we're not even in the middle nagsuspinde na ang Ombudsman [ang ilang PhilHealth officials]," he said.

"We're seeing na after namin ma-finish ang recommendation... nakakaramdam na tayo ng tagumpay sa adhikain natin na maayos naman ang PhilHealth."

The Ombudsman slapped 13 incumbent and former officials of PhilHealth with six-month preventive suspension last week.

PhilHealth, on the other hand, clarified that the suspension was not related to the recent investigations by the Senate and the House of Representatives, but stemmed from administrative cases filed against them between 2017 to 2019.

Moving forward, Belgica underscored that the government agencies need a very strong IT system to prevent corruption.

"Pag fragmented ang sistema lalo na ng mga opisina na tumatanggap ng pera at naglalabas ng pera, kalat na kalat po diyan ang opportunity to corrupt and it's very hard to monitor, to check, and investigate kapag kalat-kalat 'yan," he said.

During a Senate inquiry, Belgica said around P2 billion to P3 billion PhilHealth releases every week are exposed to corruption because of its weak IT system.

Duterte on Tuesday vowed to dedicate his remaining two years of his six-year term to go after erring PhilHealth officials. —KBK, GMA News