BY GERARD NAVAL and ASHZEL HACHERO
HEALTH Secretary Francisco Duque yesterday said the new president and chief executive officer of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) could be known this week.
“The President, right now, is already looking for a replacement. We are targeting within the week, hopefully, we can have a new president for PhilHealth,” said Duque, chairman of the PhilHealth board, a day after the resignation of Ricardo Morales.
PhilHealth executive vice president and chief operating officer Arnel de Jesus is acting PhilHealth chief.
Duque, in a press briefing after the inspection of a quarantine facility in Calamba, Laguna, said he believes Duterte is looking for someone with extensive background in finance, accounting, and legal matters.
“Of course, we need someone who knows finance because the success of PhilHealth is dependent on its actuarial sustainability,” he said.
“If he/she knows accounting, all the better. If he/she also has a background on legal matters, it would be better,” Duque added.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, whose department is leading an investigation into alleged corruption at the state insurer, said Morales’ replacement should not only have experience in financial management but the ability to rally PhilHealth workers to rebuild the agency amid allegations of wrongdoing of its personnel.
“Someone who has a steep experience in financial management and deep understanding of the law, and has a good amount of charisma to inspire and rally the good people at PhilHealth to start rebuilding the public’s trust in and respect for the agency,” he said.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte wants someone with integrity, has “managerial skills,” and has experience in insurance and health services.
Roque also said he is not interested in Morales’ former post. Roque and Morales had differences in opinion due to the alleged corruption in PhilHealth.
Duque said PhilHealth has to be provided more stability in terms of its leadership.
“I suggest to Congress that a fixed term president and CEO be returned because reforms (at PhilHealth) are long term,” he said.
Morales, who assumed the top PhilHealth post in June last year, resigned on Wednesday, citing his bout with lymphoma, or cancer of the lymph nodes, as main reason. He has been told by President Duterte to quit so he could rest and attend to his medical needs.
Also on Wednesday, Rodolfo del Rosario Jr. quit as senior vice president for the legal sector of PhilHealth, saying the controversy has started to affect his physical and mental health.
Their departure comes amid the multiple investigations being held over alleged massive corruption at PhilHealth.
De Jesus’ appointment as OIC was announced by PhilHealth corporate secretary Jonathan Mangaoang at the resumption of the House hearing into the alleged anomalies at PhilHealth.
He said board on Wednesday approved the designation “effective upon the acceptance” of Morales’ resignation “following the general rules of succession.”
Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. asked if the board considered De Jesus’ health condition.
Mangaoang said there was no discussion about it.
De Jesus has skipped hearings because of a problem with his pacemaker and for some other health condition, including hypertension and diabetes.
Cavite Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla said De Jesus could still participate through online platforms like Zoom app.
“At this pandemic, I think the excuses are very hard to come by not to appear before our body because everybody can have Zoom or use the Zoom app to appear in this body.
That’s why I think Mr. De Jesus should join us in Zoom at least,” Remulla said.
Guevarra said the resignation of PhilHealth officials would not affect the investigations being conducted by the Task Force PhilHealth which he heads.
He said the investigation “is running well, although we are aware that our resource persons are not telling us everything that we ought to know.”
“At the end of this investigation, we hope to be able to build up enough cases against persons responsible for the PhilHealth mess, whether or not they continue to be in PhilHealth’s employ,” Guevarra said when ask if the resigned PhilHealth officials would still be included in the ongoing probe.
SLOW PROSECUTION RATE
The task force, in a statement, flagged the “low and slow” prosecution rate of PhilHealth’s legal division, which resulted in thousands of administrative cases against its employees and against erring health care institutions (HCIs) languishing in its inventory.
The task force said Del Rosario made the admission when he faced the investigation Wednesday. It said Del Rosario testified that only 70 of the several thousands of administrative cases against PhilHealth employees have been “processed’ and only 50 have resulted in the issuance of formal charges against the respondents.
Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete said there was even one case against a PhilHealth employee that allegedly involved P2.1 billion.
“The P2.1-billion case pertain to a single administrative case. It has not yet been decided,” Perete said.
Del Rosario also told the task force that there are around 1,700 cases involving HCIs from 2011 to 2019 and that his office has reviewed and endorsed 1,003 cases for filing of criminal complaints by the regional offices.
“However, he admitted that only 11 cases as of date have been filed. Losses related to cases involving HCIs which included fraudulent claims were estimated at around P4. 7 billion,” the task force said.
Del Rosario explained to the task force that management policy favored settlement over prosecution of cases.
“He also noted alleged limitations in resources of regional offices that prevent them from promptly filing criminal complaints against these HCIs,” it added. — With Jocelyn Montemayor and Wendell Vigilia
