DOJ chief: More people may be charged as investigations on PhilHealth continue

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Tuesday that more people may be recommended for prosecution as investigations into alleged corruption in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) continue.

"Our report is about our initial findings only. Further investigations will be conducted and more people may be charged," Guevarra said in a message to reporters.

He made the statement when sought for comment on Senate President Vicente Sotto III's remark that he was surprised that Health Secretary Francisco Duque III was not among those recommended charged by a task force that investigated PhilHealth.

"No Duque? No Del Rosario? I’m dumbfounded! Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code is very clear. Perhaps the Ombudsman would have a better perspective of the anomalies," Sotto said earlier on Tuesday.

Duque is the ex-officio chairman of PhilHealth's board of directors. Rodolfo Del Rosario Jr., was PhilHealth's senior vice president for the legal sector until he resigned last month.

Malacañang also said the task force’s job is not yet done.

“Panimula pa lang naman po ito because they had a very limited period of time given to them by the President, [which was] 30 days,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a news conference when asked to comment on Sotto’s remarks.

“Magpapatuloy pa po ang imbestigasyon ng DOJ. Magpapatuloy pa po ang imbestigasyon ng Ombudsman.”

Neither Duque nor Del Rosario was on the list of PhilHealth officials, which includes resigned PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales, that the Guevarra-led task force said should face criminal and administrative complaints over anomalies in the state insurer.

The task force recommended graft charges against Morales, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Arnel De Jesus, Senior Vice Presidents Jovita Aragona, Renato Limsiaco, Jr., and Israel Francis Pargas; Officer-in-Charge Calixto Gabuya, Jr., and Division Chief Bobby Crisostomo.

The task force also recommended administrative charges against them for dishonesty, gross neglect of duty, grave misconduct, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

President Rodrigo Duterte has approved these recommendations.

Task Force PhilHealth has flagged anomalies in approval and implementation of PhilHealth's Interim Reimbursement Mechanism, the procurement of ICT equipment, and policies in holding erring employees and healthcare institutions accountable.

Composite teams of the task force are still conducting investigations into "similar or other wrongful practices" in the corporation, the Department of Justice said. — with Virgil Lopez/KBK/RSJ, GMA News