MANILA, Philippines — Sena. Panfilo Lacson on Saturday said those involved in the alleged corruption hounding the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) should be put behind bars.
“Not just overhaul [of PhilHealth], not just relief, not just changing of officials, but they should also be sanctioned. Meaning they should be imprisoned. No one has been imprisoned,” Lacson said in Filipino in an interview at AM radio station DWIZ about the issue.
He also lamented that charges had not been filed against the implicated officials — and they had not resigned.
According to Lacson, he and Senate President Vicente Sotto III plan to begin an investigation into the corruption allegations of PhilHealth next week after filing a resolution on Monday.
He added that Thorrsson Keith, PhilHealth anti-legal fraud officer who allegedly resigned over the corruption allegations in the agency, might attend the Senate probe.
“I’d like to believe that he’s willing to testify about what transpired at PhilHealth. The president of PhilHealth has a challenge: He should appear [at the hearing] to tell whatever he knows,” Lacson said.
PhilHealth earlier said it was ready to answer corruption allegations at the Senate probe.
/atm