Gierran confident he can address corruption in PhilHealth in 2 years

Newly-appointed Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) chief Dante Gierran on Thursday expressed confidence that he can address corruption in the state insurer within two years.

"Sigurado 'yan, kakayanin. Kakayanin ko talaga 'yan," Gierran said at the Laging Handa briefing.

He said he has the support of President Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Bong Go, and his former colleagues at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which he headed from 2016 to February this year.

The NBI is part of a Malacanang-backed task force investigating alleged corruption in PhilHealth.

"Ako mismo, I offer myself. I'm already a senior citizen, wala na akong ibang gagawin pa kundi ibalik sa komunidad ang whatever benefits that I have right now not only for Filipinos but a sense of Christian living..." Gierran added.

Identifying corruption as the "main lapse" of PhilHealth, he said a reorganization and the upgrading of the corporation's IT system are among the steps he will take to address anomalies.

He also said he will lead by example.

Gierran takes over the state health insurer following the resignation of erstwhile chief Ricardo Morales, who quit his post as PhilHealth faces multiple investigations over allegations of corruption involving billions of pesos in public funds.

Gierran's qualification for the top PhilHealth post has been questioned after he admitted that he has no experience in public health. He said he will talk to experts and consult Morales for "insights." —RSJ, GMA News