FOUR active and two “floating” regional vice presidents of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) have taken leaves of absence, effective today, to give way to investigations after their names were linked by a former PhilHealth chief to alleged anomalies at the government agency.
The six VPs said they were heeding the call of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra for PhilHealth officials whose offices are under probe to temporarily vacate their positions.
“The ongoing Senate and House of Representatives investigations into graft and corruption at PhilHealth demands full cooperation from all its officers and staff. This is necessary to help determine and assign culpability in the most expeditious manner,” the six said in a letter dated August 15 to Arnel de Jesus, PhilHealth executive vice president and chief operating officer.
The four active officials are Paolo Johann Perez (VP for Mimaropa region), Valerie Ann Hollero (Western Visayas), Datu Masiding Alonto Jr. (Northern Mindanao), Khaliquzzman Macabato (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao). The two VPs on floating status since September last year are Dennis Adre (formerly with the Davao regional office), and William Chavez (formerly with the Central Visayas regional office).
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the six VPs are not part of a “mafia” behind irregularities in the agency. He also said the six went on leave after their names were mentioned in the congressional inquiries and in response to Guevarra’s call.
PhilHealth spokesman Dr. Shirley Domingo said the applications for leave of the six VPs have yet to be officially approved.
The VPs sent copies of their letter to Senate President Vicente Sotto III; Rep. Michael Defensor, chair of the House committee on public accounts; Rep. Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado, chair of the House committee on good government and public accountability; and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra through presidential spokesman Harry Roque.
The Senate committee of the whole and the two House committees are conducting investigations into alleged anomalies at the state insurer, which has allegedly lost billions to corruption and fraud.
Guevarra chairs a task force ordered created by President Duterte to look into the irregularities in PhilHealth.
The six PhilHealth officials, in their letter, said they have designated officers-in-charge at their respective regional offices “so as not to disrupt daily operations of the regional offices and further ensure the delivery of public services,” except for Adre and Chavez who have been on floating status since last year.
Domingo said there has been no official acceptance of the leave of absence of the six.
“There is a process for approving leaves. They have to file first. Application for leaves are subject to approval. Without approval, officers should remain in post,” said Domingo.
“Remain in post is still in effect,” she added.
The names of the six regional VPs first came out last year when then PhilHealth president Roy Ferrer, during a Senate hearing, identified them as members of a “Mindanao group” allegedly involved in fraud.
Aside from the six, also mentioned by Ferrer last year as part of the Mindanao group were Miriam Grace Pamonag and Jelbert Galicto.
During a Senate hearing on Tuesday last week, Sen. Risa Hontiveros asked Thorrson Montes Keith, recently resigned PhilHealth anti-fraud legal officer, whether these alleged members of the Mindanao group, based on Ferrer’s exposé last year, were also involved in anomalies.
Keith said the six officials, “as of now,” do not have positions in the PhilHealth central office and therefore, cannot be involved in anomalies.
Alejandro Cabading, PhilHealth board member, said during the same hearing last Tuesday, that Ferrer was lying when the former PhilHealth head said the Mindanao group was involved in the so-called PhilHealth mafia.
Cabading said these regional VPs “are the people who actually brought (out) the issue of corruption last year that led to the investigation of the Senate… They were (called) the mafia, but in my definition they are the… modern-day heroes,” Cabading said during last Tuesday’s Senate hearing, adding that information on corruption were given by the regional VPs to him.
“These are good guys around,” Cabading added.
Rodolfo del Rosario, PhilHealth senior vice president, stood by Ferrer’s claim, saying there are pending cases against the officers before the corporation.
Guevarra said other PhilHealth officials named in congressional investigations should follow the decision of the six VPs.
‘We have just confirmed that a copy of the subject letter was received electronically by our office at around noontime today. I hope that the officials at the PhilHealth main office who have already been tagged in the ongoing congressional inquiries in aid of legislation, as well as those identified by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, would likewise take a temporary leave so that Task Force PhilHealth may freely perform its mandate,” Guevarra said.
On Saturday, Guevarra said two individuals formerly with PhilHealth told the task force Friday that several officers and employers of the state health insurer colluded with physicians, hospitals and even banks in making false claims, in malversation of premiums, and in exploitation of the case rate system and interim reimbursement mechanism.
Guevarra also said the two revealed abuses and flaws in the PhilHealth’s legal department and information technology office that made these fraudulent schemes possible.
But he declined to identify the two saying the investigation is still ongoing.
Senate president pro tempore Ralph Recto said the five ex-officio members of the PhilHealth board must be held equally liable for the mess regarding the interim reimbursement mechanism.
In an interview over dzBB, Recto said the five ex-officio members — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, and Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado — must also be held accountable in the IRM mess since the ex-officio members are also in charge of running PhilHealth.
Recto said the five Cabinet secretaries, whom he called “Big Brothers of PhilHealth,” were actually placed as ex-officio board members when the Universal Health Care Law was created so they can serve as the eyes and ears of the people since PhilHealth’s incomes come from its members’ monthly contributions.
He said the five ex-officio members must be invited to the third Senate hearing scheduled on Tuesday. — With Jocelyn Montemayor and Gerard Naval
