COA to PhilHealth: Return P33M

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Audit (COA) has ordered Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to return about P33 million in allowances and bonuses it gave to its employees and officials illegally in 2009 and 2011.

The audit body issued two separate rulings on July 11 regarding petitions for review of earlier notices of disallowance (NDs).

Both petitions for review were submitted beyond the six-month allowable period for appeals, making the NDs final and executory, the COA said.

The first decision resolved the petition for review submitted by PhilHealth, which assailed a March 2017 decision that affirmed an ND issued in 2014, on the payment of a productivity incentive bonus in 2012 to officers and employees of its Region 12 office in South Cotabato, amounting to P11.6 million.

The COA said PhilHealth submitted its first appeal 195 days after the ND was issued.

The second case resolved PhilHealth’s petition for review of a July 2017 decision which affirmed a 2011 ND regarding the payment of productivity bonus to employees in 2009, amounting to P22.4 million.

The COA said PhilHealth filed its appeal 287 days after it received the ND.

Both bonuses paid out in 2009 and 2011 were illegal, since PhilHealth failed to obtain prior approval from the Office of the President, the COA said.