House panel eyes emergency powers for Duterte to address PhilHealth issues

A House committee conducting an inquiry into the alleged irregularities at PhilHealth is seeking to file a measure granting emergency powers to President Rodrigo Duterte to address the issues hounding the state health insurer.

"As agreed by the committee, we will be filing an Emergency Powers Act," said House Committee on Public Accounts chair Mike Defensor during their hearing on Wednesday.

"This was done in the past, marami na tayong naging precedent na nagkaroon ng isang batas para bigyan ng emergency powers ang ating Pangulo, ang Ehekutibo," he added.

According to Defensor, the proposed emergency powers law would help in the move to reorganize PhilHealth amid accusations of corruption involving its top-level officials.

"Sa kaso ng PhilHealth ngayon, under the leadership of Atty. Dante Gierran, kinakailangan niya na maglagay ng mga personnel, tumulong sa kanya immediately, puwede ring mga kumpanya na umalalay sa kanya sa IT," he said.

Gierran, former director of the National Bureau of Investigation, is the newly appointed PhilHealth president and CEO, replacing Ricardo Morales, who resigned over health issues amid the investigations — by the two houses of Congress and a government task force — being conducted on the health insurer.

"And so we will give that powers to him. And to reorganize PhilHealth as they seem fit," Defensor said.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, who attended the hearing, said he is amenable to the proposal of lawmakers.

"Maganda yung iyong panukala na bigyan ng karagdagan na kapangyarihan si Pangulong Duterte para mabilis ang reporma na isailalim ang PhilHealth," he said.

Both Duque and Morales have been recommended to face criminal charges by the Senate Committee of the Whole that also probed PhilHealth. Both had denied involvement in any irregularity in the agency.

Justice Undersecretary Adrian Sugay also expressed support for the measure to be filed.

"We fully support this initiative on this part of Congress kasi alam naman natin kung gaano kahalaga ang ginagampanan ng PhilHealth," he said,.

"Kung ano ang kinakailangan sa tingin ng Kongreso para maayos ang mga issues ng PhilHealth, kami ay sumusuporta nang lubos," Sugay added.

The House Committees on Public Accounts and on Good Government and Public Accounts has terminated its inquiry into the alleged irregularities at PhilHealth. A technical working group will come up with a report recommending the filing of charges against individuals found to be involved in corruption.

Resigned PhilHealth anti-fraud officer Thorsson Montes Keith earlier claimed that the PhilHealth "mafia," composed of the executive committee, stole some P15 billion through fraudulent schemes, including those involving the interim reimbursement mechanism.

PhilHealth has since denied such claims. —KBK, GMA News