Robredo wants PhilHealth execs suspended as probe gets underway

Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday called for the suspension of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) executives as lawmakers probe allegations of widespread corruption within the agency amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In her weekly radio show, Robredo said it was not enough that PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales and Executive Vice President Arnel de Jesus notified the Senate of their unfavorable medical conditions ahead of the hearing next week.

Morales said he was advised to take a leave of absence while De Jesus will not be able to attend the next hearing due to an "unforeseen medical emergency."

“Baka dapat, habang ganito ka-grabe ang accusations, ganito katindi, baka kailangang may suspension habang ang investigations [ay] ongoing,” Robredo said.

“Kapag may ongoing investigations, iyong mga people responsible ay dapat sana ma-suspend muna, para hindi ma-compromise iyong integrity ng investigations. Sana ganoon iyong gawin, to show na seryoso tayong sugpuin iyong korapsyon,” she added.

Malacañang earlier said it would leave it up to the Senate to comment on the matter.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, for his part, said the medical condition of Morales and De Jesus should not be questioned.

PhilHealth came under fire after whistleblower Thorrsson Montes Keith, the former PhilHealth anti-fraud legal officer, bared that the executive committee stole some P15 billion through several fraudulent schemes.

“Sobrang nakakadismaya. Mukhang matagal na siyang nangyayari, ilang taon na siguro o ilang buwan na nangyayari, pero nabunyag pa ito sa panahon ng pandemya,” Robredo lamented.

The vice president also pointed out that anti-corruption government bodies should have sniffed out such large-scale corruption much earlier.

“Bakit kinakailangang dumating sa ganitong punto na ang allegations 15 billion [pesos], at a time na mayroon tayong COVID-19, na kailangan na kailangan natin iyong serbisyo ng PhilHealth,” she said.

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the creation of an inter-agency task force to investigate the allegations. — DVM, GMA News