Ubial says there was calculated effort to oust her as DOH, Philhealth head

Former Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial on Thursday said there was a "calculated effort" to oust her at the helm of the Department of Health and as chair of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

"I don't know but I'm certain there is a calculated effort to remove me as DOH Secretary and as chairperson of the board of Philhealth. Calculated," Ubial said in an interview on ANC.

The Commission on Appointments on Tuesday rejected the appointment of Ubial. The decision was reached through a secret voting in an executive session.

Ubial is the fifth Cabinet official appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to be rejected by the CA. The other four are Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano, Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, Environment Secretary Gina Lopez, and Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay, Jr.

Ubial said she was never manipulative as the chief of PhilHealth, citing that there was a destabilization effort and misinformation among the ranks of PhilHealth.

"We have a communication bureau unit in PhilHealth and they make the communication plan to the staff, to the public and I think it was adequately communicated. But I believe that there was a lot of, shall we say, destabilization and misinformation from among the ranks of PhilHealth because they felt that I was manipulative, I was trying to control PhilHealth but I did not. I did not," Ubial said.

During the CA committee hearing, former PhilHealth interim president and chief executive officer (CEO) Hildegardes Dineros said Ubial "peddled" lies before the CA when the former Health secretary claimed that he resigned from his post.

Ubial, for her part, said she is disappointed with Dineros for claiming that she lied. She said she has proof that Dineros resigned and a resolution and minutes of the meeting showed that the board accepted Dineros' resignation.

"I'm really really disappointed in Dr. Dineros. What is his proof that I lied? What is his proof that he did not resign?" Ubial said.

"I have with me the minutes of the meeting. I have a video recording of that executive session. I have the board resolution that he resigned and the board accepted his resignation. So I don't know. Maybe his definition of 'resigned' and 'ousted' is different from my definition," she added.

Meanwhile, Maria Fe Francisco, one of the 150 employees who signed a manifesto against Ubial, also attended the hearing to oppose Ubial's confirmation.

Francisco said Ubial committed "grave abuse of power and usurpation of authority" and violated the rights of PhilHealth employees to due process when the Secretary arbitrarily suspended allowances and salary adjustments due to a notice of disallowance issued by the Commission on Audit (COA).

This was however denied as well by Ubial, saying that her work as chairman of PhilHealth is only to preside board meetings and that she has no control over the board's decision.

"The work of the chairman of the board is to preside board meetings and all decisions, all actions of the Health Secretary pertains to that role," she said.

"And if we suspended the giving of benefits that were actually disallowed already by the Commission on Audit and was not allowed by the GCG (Governance Commission for Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations), the governance council, so the role of the Health Secretary is chairperson of the board," she added.

Ubial added that she is certain that there is "misinformation" among the 150 employees of PhilHealth.

"I'm sure there was misinformation particularly those 150 employees because the PhilHealth employees association headed by the President, Mrs. Esperenza Ocampo, was there and supporting me because they understood what's happening and it's beyond the control of the board," Ubial said. —KG, GMA News