PhilHealth lost huge with Plan 5M to boost Arroyo in 2004, says Adre

PhilHealth's distribution of five million identification cards nationwide in 2004 caused difficulties that led to some officers to manipulate the state insurer's financial statements, PhilHealth regional vice president Dennis Adre said on Tuesday.

In a Senate hearing, Adre said "Plan Five Million" was allegedly meant to promote the candidacy of then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo against popular opposition standard bearer Fernando Poe Jr.

"'Yun pong Plan 5 Million ni-launch ni former President and CEO [Francisco] Duque noong eleksyon 2004," Adre said.

"Noon pong may survey na the late FPJ ay nangunguna ng five million votes sa survey, kaya po five million din ang cards na ipinamigay ng PhilHealth na libre," he added.

"Kami pong mga regional vice president ay ipinatawag sa isang pulong sa central office kung saan ini-explain kung papaano po ang distribution," Adre said.

Further, he recalled that there was even an instruction not to give PhilHealth cards in Davao City which was led by then Mayor Rodrigo Duterte because the latter "does not belong to their party."

Those who questioned the Plan 5 Million were also reassigned to other areas, according to Adre.

Adre said that the project led the downfall of PhilHealth.

"'Yun po ang unang dahilan ng pagkalugi ng PhilHealth. 'Yun po ang unang dahilan kung bakit natalo po ang PhilHealth for the unpaid premiums which PCSO was supposed to pay," Adre said.

"And that was the first time that the financial statement of PhilHealth had been window dressed," he added.

The regional vice president claimed that former PhilHealth Senior Vice President for Finance Greg Rulloda said in a recent meeting in Malacanang that the "window dressing" of the state insurer's financial statements has indeed been ongoing in the past several years.

During the same hearing, an incumbent Board member of PhilHealth said he flagged billions of pesos in supposed discrepancies in the financial statement of PhilHealth.

Duque strongly denied the allegation that the enrollment of five million Filipinos to PhilHealth during his tenure as chair was used to advance political interests.

"The five million [is] not in connection with the allegations of Mr. Dennis Adre but the five million was distributed based on the executive order then of President GMA and so there is no correlation between the Philhealth program and the elections," Duque said.

"Cases were filed against us and they were all dismissed by Ombudsman [Conchita] Morales," he added.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said there was a pending case before the Commission on Elections but Duque said this had been dismissed.

Under Executive Order No. 276, signed by Arroyo on January 29, 2004, PhilHealth was directed to assist in the identification of indigent families and to target the enrollment of a total of the five million indigent families nationwide under the enhanced "PCSO Greater Medicare Access" Program.

The PCSO, on the other hand, was directed under the said EO to remit to PhilHealth the LGU premium counterpart for duly qualified beneficiaries. -NB, GMA News