Regional execs are the real PhilHealth mafia –resigned SVP del Rosario

The real "mafia" within the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) are some of the officials in the agency’s regional offices, resigned senior vice president for the legal sector Rodolfo del Rosario Jr. said Friday.

In Maki Pulido’s report on “24 Oras,” Del Rosario said these officials had spent decades in their posts and that they had backers. He did not name them.

“Kung mapapansin mo, they have never applied for any promotion. Talagang andoon lang sila sa mga puwesto nila sa kanilang assignment, talagang lalabanan ka nila nang husto every time you try to move them,” he said

It is in the regional offices where billions of questionable claims of health care providers from PhilHealth come through, according to Del Rosario.

“[Noong] lumabas ang reports sa health informatics and data analytics, it pointed out to those regions na nandun ‘yung mga statistically-improbable claims ng mga hospitals. They’ve been there for 2 decades,” he said.

Del Rosario was one of those named at a Senate hearing as part of the PhilHealth mafia by board member Alejandro Cabading, which the resigned SVP denied. 

Rosario was also among the 13 officials which were slapped by the Ombudsman with a six-month-long preventive suspension without pay. He later filed his resignation.

The former SVP said they investigated and filed charges against the concerned officials. However, they were also charged with oppression. This is one of the many reasons why several officials of the agency were suspended.

“Kasi mga untouchables mga ito, eh. If you, parang kinanti mo sila, you will reap the consequences. So ‘yung previous administrations, hinayaan lang na naka-pending ‘yung mga reklamo against them. But during our time, ‘yun nga, the PhilHealth Board decided to pursue all these cases,” Del Rosario said. — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News