Roque mulls charges vs PhilHealth execs

MANILA, Philippines — Lawyer Harry Roque plans to file criminal cases against current and former officials of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. who allegedly allowed payments for fraudulent claims and approved the accreditation of hospitals supposedly involved in questionable practices.

Roque said on Saturday that he was willing to file the cases for free, if new PhilHealth president Ricardo Morales would provide him with the documents to identify the officials involved in the activities.

“This is the litmus test for Morales,” he said in a phone interview. “I’m challenging Morales to give me the documents, and I am willing to file the cases for free, pro bono.”

Roque said he was planning to file cases against former PhilHealth president Roy Ferrer and the PhilHealth board for accrediting hospitals involved in allegedly questionable acts.

Fraudulent claims

He cited Ferrer and the board’s alleged reduction of the penalty for Perpetual Succor Hospital from a three-month suspension to merely a fine, despite a Court of Appeals ruling upholding the suspension.

He said that in 2018, Perpetual Succor filed claims for P90 million for three months, or an average of P30 million a month.

Roque also cited Ferrer’s alleged decision to approve the accreditation of Child Care Inc., formerly the Hospital of the Infant Jesus, even if PhilHealth’s accreditation board had denied its application.

Child Care Inc. was facing allegations of having fraudulent claims for cataract operations, he said. Its cataract surgery cases surged 365 percent from 2014 to 2015, he added.

Roque also said the officials who facilitated the payments for the allegedly fraudulent claims filed by Wellmed Dialysis Center could be liable for malversation of funds.