Erring PhilHealth officials

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

Top Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) officials summoned by the Senate in its probe on corruption within the agency have given one alibi after another like being sick.

But sooner or later, they will have to answer the allegations.

With mounting pressure from the public for the government to go against those involved, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday he would go after corrupt PhilHealth officials involved in siphoning billions of the state insurer’s funds. Let’s see.

“’Wag kayong magkakamali itong --- itong PhilHealth. Sabi ko yayariin ko kayong lahat, maniwala kayo (Make no mistake. These PhilHealth officials, I said, I’ll get them),” Duterte said in a late-night public address in Davao City.

Duterte said “innocent” PhilHealth officials should just keep working.

“Iyong mga inosente naman, wala kayong dapat i-ano, tahimik lang kayo at continue working (Those innocent, you don’t have to worry, just stay quiet and continue working),” he said.

He said while corrupt PhilHealth officials might have eluded being caught during the previous administration, he was certain that his Cabinet members would help get rid of them.

“And with the help of mga Cabinet members ko, hindi na lang --- hindi ko na lang ipagyabang but these are people also… Simple lang. Why? Why are they really helping me to get rid of you? Kung maaari lang patayin ka? Alam mo bakit (And with the help of my Cabinet members... I won’t brag, but these are simple people who really help me get rid of these corrupt officials. And why?) Because simply they love their country,” he said.

On August 7, Duterte signed a memorandum ordering the Dept. of Justice to create a task force to investigate “massive corruption” within the PhilHealth.

The task force is also mandated to make an audit of the PhilHealth finances and conduct lifestyle checks on the state insurer’s officials and employees.

Under the terms of the President's directive, during the course of the investigation, if warranted, the panel may recommend to Duterte the imposition of preventive suspension on any PhilHealth official to ensure the unhampered conduct of the investigation.

Members of the task force include the Office of the Ombudsman, Commission on Audit, Civil Service Commission, the Office of the Executive Secretary, the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Office of the Special Assistant to the President.

Earlier, resigned PhilHealth anti-fraud legal officer Thorsson Montes Keith claimed that around P15 billion of the agency’s funds have been allegedly pocketed by PhilHealth officials.

PhilHealth acting senior vice president Nerissa Santiago also admitted that PhilHealth could go bankrupt in 2021 due to the decreased collections and increased payouts for the health expenses of its members due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) crisis.  

PhilHealth officials on Thursday denied "in strongest terms" that the state insurer's senior officials pocketed P15 billion from its funds as claimed by Keith.

In a statement, PhilHealth labeled as "malicious" the allegations of anti-fraud legal officer Thorsson Keith, saying his claims were not substantiated by evidence.

"His malicious claims not substantiated by evidence were obviously made to malign officers that rejected his ambitions for higher offices which he is not qualified for," the statement read.

Keith, who was hired as a job order contractor to do staff work under the Office of the President, resigned last month due to alleged "widespread corruption" in the agency.

During a Senate hearing on PhilHealth funds Tuesday, Keith claimed that the P15 billion covers the unauthorized release of interim reimbursement mechanisms (IRM) or funds allocated to hospitals who have not yet recorded Covid-19 cases and that the amount included the alleged overpriced information technology system the agency planned to purchase.

According to the agency, Keith was "in no position to discuss office matters being in the corporation for only nine months".

Saying the existing guidelines were followed, the state insurer said there had never been "favoritism" in the release of the IRM funds to a total of 711 health care facilities to assure efficient response to the pandemic.

"Contrary to reports that hospitals no longer need to account for these funds, the IRM is governed by government accounting and auditing rules, hence, it is subject to liquidation by its recipients," it added.

The PhilHealth regional offices are given the flexibility in the timing of liquidations, recognizing the situations in each hospital.

"It is worthy to note that in recognition of the crucial help that the IRM plays in the fight against Covid-19, the Philippine Hospital Association, in a statement, expressed their support to its implementation in all levels of hospitals (including infirmaries) to help them to 'financially cope with the demands of increasing its capacity to respond to Covid-19," the statement read. 

If constituents of this Banana Republic would stop paying their PhilHealth contributions, blame it on the system. Basing from reports, corruption has become widespread in government even as the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted to misery and hopelessness among the people.