Roque to file graft raps vs more PhilHealth officials

MANILA, Philippines — Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque will file before the Office of the Ombudsman a case of graft against six more officials of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) for alleged issuance of fake receipts to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

“Sa Miyerkules ng linggong ito, maghahain tayo ng panibagong kaso laban sa mga korap diyan sa PhilHealth para masiguro na sa panahon ng epidemya, masiguro natin na hindi pinagpepyestahan ‘yung pondo para sa paggamot ng maysakit,” he said in an interview with Radyo Inquirer on Monday.

(This Wednesday, we will file another case against the corrupt officials of PhilHealth to ensure that when an epidemic strikes, they will not feast on funds meant for the treatment of the sick.)

Roque said an overall revamp is needed in the senior executive level of the agency and not only to previous members of the board of directors who were earlier asked by President Rodrigo Duterte to submit courtesy resignations when the ghost dialysis treatment scheme was unearthed.

READ: PhilHealth pays for ghost kidney treatments

READ: PhilHealth execs asked to submit courtesy resignation over dialysis mess

He reiterated that the top leadership in PhilHealth was the real “mafia” in the agency.

In August last year, Roque, one of the primary authors of the Universal Health Care Law in the House of Representatives, also filed graft and other complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against former and current officials of PhilHealth over alleged irregularities that involved P90 million government funds.

GSG