Whistleblowers in PhilHealth fund mess stripped of gov’t protection

The whistleblowers who accused Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) of paying WellMed Dialysis and Laboratory Center, through claims by ghost beneficiaries, are no longer under the government’s witness protection program, their legal counsel said Thursday.

Lawyer Harry Roque Jr., a former spokesperson of President Rodrigo Duterte, made the disclosure on the same day that he sued 11 former and incumbent PhilHealth officials for graft, usurpation of judicial functions, and grave misconduct, among others before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly reversing a Court of Appeals ruling suspending an erring hospital in Cebu.

“Sinabi po sa akin ni Secretary Menard kahapon, wala na po sa Witness Protection Program ang dalawang whislteblower na sina Edwin at Liezel,” Roque said.

Liezel Aileen de Leon and Edwin Roberto are the whistleblowers, and Menard is Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra.

Roque, however, said all hope is not lost since he touched base with Ombudsman Samuel Martires.

Asked why the two were removed from the Witness Protection Program, Roque noted the WPP’s limitations. “Walang jurisdiction kapag hindi grave offense. Ang grave offense ay recognizable by the Regional Trial Court.”

He alleged that his clients’ were taken out of the WPP through the intervention of PhilHealth officials.

“Ako po, sigurado ako, meron sa loob ng Philhealth na gusto sumunod sa direktiba ng Presidente pero gusto rin masira ang loob ng dalawang whistleblowers,” Roque said.

He assured the public that all hope is not lost since he touched base with Ombudsman Samuel Martires.

“Pero ang mabuting balita naman po, nakipagugnayan po ako kay Ombudsman Martires kahapon, at sinabi po niya na although tahimik [lang siya], nagiimbestiga po siya rito sa PhilHealth at kung mayroon pangangailangan, ang Ombudsman, ayon sa Ombudsman law, ay may kapangyarihang magbigay ng witness protection,” Roque pointed out.

The Ombudsman law states that “the Ombudsman may grant immunity from criminal prosecution to any person whose testimony or whose possession and production of documents or other evidence may be necessary to determine the truth in any hearing, inquiry or proceeding being conducted by the Ombudsman or under its authority, in the performance or in the furtherance of its constitutional functions and statutory objectives.”

The immunity clause under the Ombudsman law, however, does not  exempt witnesses from criminal liability, or perjury, or false testimony, as well as demotion or removal from office.

“Kaya ‘yung masasamang budhi riyan sa PhilHealth, neknek niyo. Kakanta pa rin po sila [mga whistleblowers]. Manigas kayo,” Roque added.

In June, PhilHealth has withdrawn WellMed’s accreditation in light of accusations hurled by the whistleblowers.

The Department of Justice has since filed estafa charges, including falsification of official documents, against owner Bryan Sy, as well as Roberto and De Leon who were former employees of WellMed. —VDS, GMA News