Benguet congressional bet resigns from PhilHealth over ‘corruption’

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – It seems the stink of corruption emanating from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation is starting to reach high heavens.

This made a congressional candidate of this province with two other PhilHealth officials resign over allegations of corruption in the state health insurance agency.

According to reports, there was a tense exchange during the executive committee meeting of PhilHealth, which led to the resignations of Thorsson Montes Keith, anti-fraud legal officer, native of La Trinidad, Benguet and Bai Laborte, head executive assistant of PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Ricardo Morales.

A certain lawyer, identified only as Labe and who is also a legal officer of PhilHealth, will also tender his resignation, according to reports.

The signed resignation letter of Keith, detailed his reasons for his resignation that will be effective on August 31.

Keith said that he opposed the implementation of the mandatory payment of PhilHealth contributions by Overseas Filipino Workers, which was “unconstitutional” because it was not part of the Universal Health Care law.

“It is against my personal values to let the OFWs pay for the spillages of PhilHealth” he said.

He also cited the “rampant and patent unfairness in the promotion of officers in the state health firm,” the delay in his salary and hazard pay since the start of the investigation of officers in PhilHealth and “widespread corruption”.

“I think it is better for me to resign and let the course of things go its way,” Keith wrote in his letter.

PhilHealth has yet to comment on the resignations.

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In adjacent Baguio City Mayor Benjie Magalong allayed fears the city is willing to risk the health of its residents to revive its tourism-based economy.

Magalong last week declared city doors will remain closed until the National Capital Region, Region III and Region IV stifles spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19).

A report of Julie Fianza of the city information office said this came in the heels of a presentation on the Baguio Visitors Management System (BVMS) by City Tourism Officer Aloysius Mapalo.

As the city maps out strategies, local tourism though may still be given the greenlight in September.

 The mayor noted, almost 45-percent of tourists come from Regions 3, 4 and the country’s capital based on a survey, September 2018 to April 2019.

Fianza said most of the city’s visitors hail from Aurora Province, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales in Region 3; Calamba in Laguna, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon in Region 4; and, part of Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, Mapalo said the BVMS is essentially a tourist tracking system which aids in thwarting spread of Covid-19 right from the city’s boarders, while ensuring income derived from use of various city amenities; traffic administration; and, environment management.

It renders a database for purposes of contact-tracing even before prospective visitors manage to roam the city under monitored conditions.

Meanwhile, the BVMS provides cashless transactions; scheduled travels and stops; ready and accredited transport services; and, ease of travel, among others, which provide tourists added sense of health security.

Mapalo is reportedly due to present a more detailed report on the BVMS, August 11.

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Mayor Magalong had urged citizens to take stringent measures against Covid-19, through cashless transactions, massive surface disinfection, the establishment of barangay isolation facilities and immediate testing for those exhibiting influenza–like symptoms.

The mayor announced this during the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) meeting Monday afternoon at the Dept. of Health (DOH) conference hall, according to Fianza.

Earlier, Magalong, Vice-Mayor Faustino Olowan, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) officer-in-charge regional director Lalaine Sobremonte and other officials signed a memorandum of agreement with Squidpay, a multi-use transaction platform for online and cashless payment for express and public utility vehicles (PUV) through tap cards.

This advocates touchless, online, digitized and cash-less transactions, thus avoiding the spread of the dreaded Covid-19 virus.

Fianza also reported assive disinfection of groceries, the public market and perimeters, overpasses and alleys through the use of hypochlorite (NaOCl) solution.

NaOCl, a primary disinfection agent, bleach and odor remover was reportedly used in a three-day flushing and clean-up at the market and perimeters last week after infection links were found among market workers and their families. Selling hours was shortened temporarily for three half-days of clean-up, as vendors and section leaders agreed on, in a meeting Tuesday afternoon.

Affected marketgoers from different districts were asked to patronize satellite markets and small vegetable sellers in the meantime.

Rolling stores shall also be scheduled in the barangays to decongest the city public market.

 During the IATF meeting, Magalong urged Baguio residents experiencing influenza-like symptoms to submit themselves for check-up and swabbing at the nearest health center.

Influenza symptoms are runny nose, sore throat, sneezing, fever and chills, body aches, headache, dry cough and sweating which unlike colds, develop suddenly.

 Influenza has similar symptoms with Covid-19 and affects the respiratory organs, nose, throat and lungs.

The city has ample supply of test kits which is used for community-based tests, the mayor said. Test kits are shared with neighboring municipalities and Cordillera provinces as the unified fight against Covid-19 goes on.

Fianza reported that suggestions on other basic protective practices against Covid-19 were solicited by the mayor from concerned citizens.

Barangay officials were also directed to locate barangay isolation facilities.

 “We have to be strategically prepared for any eventuality as area borders are gradually opening up,” the mayor said.

Anti-Covid medications and vaccines are still a way off, maybe during the last quarter of next year, Magalong added, thus minimum health protocols of wearing face mask, social distancing and frequent handwashing are still a must.

During the same meeting, Health Service Office head Dr. Rowena Galpo presented real-time information and situationer on the increasing Covid cases. She advocated avoiding the three Cs: closed spaces with poor ventilation, crowded places with people, close contact setting and conversations.

Fianza said also present during the IATF meeting were Department of Health regional director Dr. Amelita Pangilinan, Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) head Dr. Ricardo Runez, and representatives from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and other concerned agencies.