Palace backs lawmaker’s call for travel restrictions vs. PhilHealth execs

Malacañang on Tuesday backed the suggestion of a party-list lawmaker for the government to impose travel restrictions on Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) officials linked to the supposed irregularities in the state insurer. 

Bagong Henerasyon party-list Representative Bernadette Herrera-Dy earlier said the process leading to immigration watchlists, hold departure orders and INTERPOL red notices should be set in motion for the PhilHealth executives “so that when time comes for formalities to be done, actions will be swift.”

She also urged the Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Immigration to immediately issue the needed legal authorization to secure the files and computers of PhilHealth to protect the integrity of evidence. 

“100% in agreement. Magaling po talaga itong si Congresswoman BH,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a news conference when asked to comment on Dy’s statement. 

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday approved the recommendation of an inter-agency task force to file criminal and administrative complaints against resigned PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales and several other officials.

Task Force PhilHealth found irregularities in the three areas it focused its investigation on: the approval and implementation of the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism, the approval of budgets for the purchase of ICT equipment, and corporate policies that fail to hold accountable erring PhilHealth personnel and health care institutions and professionals.

The task force’s initial report did not call for the prosecution of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, but the Palace and the Department of Justice said the probe into the alleged corruption in the PhilHealth continues.

“Further investigations will be conducted and more people may be charged," Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said in a message to reporters. —KG, GMA News