PhilHealth chief Morales has resigned, says Bong Go

Philippine Health Insurance Corp. president and CEO Ricardo Morales has resigned from his post amid allegations of corruption plaguing the state insurer and his battle with lymphoma, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go said on Wednesday.

"Nakausap ko si ES [Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea] at natanggap na niya ang resignation," Go told reporters in a message.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed that Morales tendered his resignation on Wednesday.

“We are still awaiting President Duterte's further action/instruction on the matter,” Roque said.

Morales, earlier in the day, said he would file his resignation letter following President Rodrigo Duterte's advice that it would be best for him to leave PhilHealth because of his unstable health condition.

Amid the investigations on the alleged irregularities within the state health insurer, Morales, a retired military general, revealed that he is battling lymphoma.

He said that there was no  iota of evidence" that would link him to the supposed anomalies at PhilHealth. 

The resigned PhilHealth chief also denied protecting the alleged corrupt officials in the state insurer.

Morales and several officials of the agency faced congressional and Palace-backed investigations on the supposed anomalies in the agency, ranging from fraudulent schemes, the use of the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism to overpricing in the purchase of an IT system.

Morales took over the leadership of PhilHealth in June last year amid the issue on the alleged funding of dialysis treatment for patients who were already deceased. -with a report from Virgil Lopez/NB, GMA News