Some senators 'a bit confused' on PhilHealth stand, says Defensor

Some senators are "a bit confused" on the need for urgent reforms in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., a party-list representative said on Friday.

Anakalusugan party-list Representative Michael Defensor made the remark after some senators disagreed with a House committee's proposal to give President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to reform the reputedly graft-ridden PhilHealth.

“They spoke about the violations in the interim reimbursement mechanism, the IT bidding process, the irregularities of PhilHealth’s legal sector, and the financial statements based on COA observations,” Defensor said.

“They say it’s extremely urgent and yet they deny the need for emergency powers for this to be accomplished,” he added. 

Defensor is the chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, one of the committees looking into the PhilHealth scandal and the panel which is considering the filing of the emergency powers measure.

He said emergency powers were required for the president to have “a free hand” in reorganizing PhilHealth pending investigation.

“For this purpose, the president may abolish or create offices; split, group, or merge positions, transfer functions, records and personnel in pursuit of an in-depth investigation and in making PhilHealth more responsive and efficient,” Defensor said.

“The hiring of personnel and/or companies for audit, actuarial, legal and financial purposes can also be undertaken without going through the cumbersome processes of government which may take a year before it can be in effect,” he added.

Defensor said the oversight function given to the Senate and the House under the Universal Health Care Law should be restated to ensure transparency in the actions to be undertaken by the executive department.

He said review could be done on a weekly basis to ensure effectiveness in the reforms and actions undertaken by the executive.

“Emergency powers are limited in time and not in perpetuity… We have not yet formally introduced legislation to be approved by the House and yet they lambast the idea as if they already have a copy of the bill,” Defensor said.

“We are here to provide a health care system that our people deserve. The work we are doing is not only for us but for the future of our children. Hindi ito pagalingan o pataasan ng ihi,” he added.

Earlier, several senators said there is no need to grant Duterte emergency powers to solve PhilHealth’s systemic problem of corruption.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon both said Duterte already has enough powers under the Constitution and existing laws to reorganize and solve corruption in the agency.

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan also aired his frustration on the alleged failure of the government to maximize the COVID-19 pandemic response using the emergency powers granted to Duterte through the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.

Meanwhile, Senator Panfilo Lacsons said Duterte did not need emergency powers to “cleanse” the embattled PhilHealth of scalawags as he has government agencies at his disposal.

Both Pangilinan and Lacson also urged the administration to instead fire Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, PhilHealth’s ex-officio chairman.

Duterte recently appointed a new PhilHealth chief, Dante Gierran, after retired general Ricardo Morales resigned from the post due to his unstable health condition. -NB, GMA News