Taking over PhilHealth is like being thrown into a snake pit —new chief Gierran

Newly-appointed president and chief executive officer of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) Dante Gierran on Tuesday said he was warned of the people he will trust during his stint.

Interviewed on GMA News’ Unang Balita, former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Gierran admitted that fighting corruption in PhilHealth would not be easy for him.

“Hindi naman ganun kadali. The good thing with this, there are five units in NBI investigating right now. These units, these people used to be under me. I know them,” Gierran said.

“Because I do not know PhilHealth, sabi ng iba if you're assigned in PhilHealth, it is as if you are being thrown into a snake pit. Ang sabi, tutuklawin ka ng ahas  doon,” he added.

According to Gierran, he has to be familiar first with the people whom he will be working with in leading the government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC).

President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Gierran following the resignation of ex-PhilHealth president Ricardo Morales and the leave of absence of top executives amid allegations of corruption and fraud.

“Ang Presidente mismo parang nagmamakaawa na tanggapin mo ito. Tulungan mo ako. Ang natira na two years na lang sa akin ay gagawin ko ito na para lalaban ang kurapsyon,” Gierran said.

He pointed out that he cannot simply decline the appointment when Duterte himself offered it to him. Aside from this, he said he accepted the assignment because PhilHealth benefits the Filipino people.

“This is my PhilHealth. This is the PhilHealth of my children. This is the PhilHealth of my relatives. This is the PhilHealth of the Filipino people,” he said.

Duterte ordered Gierran to remove the regional vice presidents of the state insurer whether they are doing a good job or otherwise as a step to eradicate the anomalies inside the GOCC.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed on Tuesday that Duterte ordered a reshuffle of regional vice presidents.

When asked about the suggestion of Senator Bong Go to cut off the fingers of PhilHealth officials guilty of corruption, Gierran pointed out that it can be taken as a figure of speech.

“Ako sinabi ko rin e noong nasa NBI pa ako, ‘Papatayin ko.’ Sinabi ko marami akong pinatay. Pero hindi literal,” he said.

“Kapag may kakasuhan ka, kasuhan mo. Number two, hiyain mo d'un sa flag ceremony. Papangalanin mo ang pangalan. Number three, ilipat mo doon sa lugar na hindi niya gusto,” he added.

Aside from fighting corruption, Gierran said he will also address the concerns about the real amount of fund that is left in PhilHealth.

“Alamin natin kung magkano pa ang perang natira sa PhilHealth. I can do that because I am not only a lawyer, I am also an accountant. Tignan natin kung magkano pa ang pera,” he said.

He added that we will verify the availability of funds following the allegations of corruption.

In a separate interview on Tuesday, Gierran said reorganizing PhilHealth and examining its financial conditions will be part of his short-term goals.

“One is the reorganization, I go with the president. Number two, I will look into the financial conditions of PhilHealth,” he said in an interview on ANC on Tuesday.

Some lawmakers earlier expressed concern over the admission of the PhilHealth that its funds are depleting and its actuarial life is now reduced to one year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a Senate hearing, PhilHealth's acting Senior Vice President Nerissa Santiago said the reduction was due to "decreased collections" and an "expected increase in benefit payouts" caused by the pandemic. —AOL/KG, GMA News