PHILHEALTH MESS

Senators may accept House proposal for Duterte emergency powers if new authorities given —Sotto

Senate President Vicente Sotto III believes his fellow senators will only be amenable to the House panel proposal to grant President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to address the issues at the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) if there are actual new authorities to be given to him.

In a radio interview on Saturday, Sotto said all the powers that the President needs to address the issues hounding the state health insurer are already with him.

He also claimed that the Philippine President is the "most powerful President" in the Southeast Asian region.

"Siguro pinakamaganda doon, paalam sa amin, anong emergency powers ang ibibigay na hindi kayang gawin ng Presidente ngayon," Sotto said.

"Kung merong ibibigay sa Presidente na hindi niya kayang gawin sa kasalukuyang powers na meron siya, siguro papayag ang Senado. Pero kung ang sasabihin ay puro mga puwede naman niyang gawin na wala 'yun, bakit pa?" he added.

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Thursday said Duterte does not need emergency powers to “cleanse” the embattled PhilHealth of scalawags as he has government agencies at his disposal.

House Committee on Public Accounts chair Mike Defensor announced in a hearing on Wednesday that his panel is seeking to file a measure granting emergency powers to Duterte to address the issues at PhilHealth.

He said the proposed emergency powers law would help in the move to reorganize PhilHealth amid the corruption issues it is currently embroiled in.

But he said some senators are "a bit confused" on the need for urgent reforms in PhilHealth after they disagreed with the proposal being raised by his committee.

“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.

Malacañang on Thursday said it will look into the proposal.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III 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.

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, in a statement, has since denied such claims. —KG, GMA News