Morales' former assistant to testify in Senate PhilHealth probe —source

A resigned PhilHealth executive will serve as a new witness in the continuation of the Senate investigation on alleged irregularities within the state health insurer this Tuesday. 

PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales' former head executive assistant Estrobal Laborte will be testifying in the legislative probe, a credible source from the upper chamber disclosed on Monday.

Laborte backed out at the last minute from participating in the August 4 Senate hearing due to "security reasons." Senator Panfilo Lacson said Laborte claimed that he feels like he was being "followed.

Former anti-fraud officer Thorrsson Montes Keith and incumbent Board member Alejandro Cabading were the two witnesses who appeared before the previous inquiry.

In a separate virtual interview, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said one or two new witnesses will be present in the next Senate hearing.

"The way Senator Lacson told me, the one or two new witnesses are ready and willing to come out now after they heard the hearing at 'yung klase ng mga palusot na ginagamit," Sotto said.

"According to Senator Lacson, mabigat 'yung mga bibitawan nito at mabigat ang mga ebidensiya nito but he did not disclose to me what," he added.

The alleged overpricing of IT equipment, questionable releases through the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism, and "manipulated" financial statements of PhilHealth had been discussed in the previous hearing.

Sotto said he is keen to close the Senate investigation on Tuesday if the resource persons will cooperate and the discussions will turn out well. The Committee of the Whole will then craft a report.

Malacañang will be furnished a copy of the Senate investigation report, Sotto said. —KBK, GMA News