MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to create a task force that would look into the alleged irregularities hounding the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
Aside from the DOJ, the task force will be composed of the Office of the Ombudsman, Commission on Audit, Civil Service Commission, Office of the Executive Secretary, Office of the Special Assistant to the President as well as the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a televised press briefing Friday.
Roque said the task force will have the power to conduct lifestyle checks on PhilHealth officials and issue preventive suspensions.
President Duterte orders DOJ to create a task force to look into the alleged irregularities hounding PhilHealth. | @JMAurelioINQ @DJEsguerraINQ pic.twitter.com/bjjaVETCXJ
— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) August 7, 2020
“Dati rati po paulit ulit na nagiimbestiga ang Kamara at Senado pero wala pong nangyayari kasi wala pong kapangyarihan ng preventive suspension,” Roque said.
“Ngayon po ang imbestigasyon na ito, kasama na po ang preventive suspension,” he added.
Among allegations of corruption raised during the Senate hearing involved the procurement of alleged overpriced IT equipment; a supposedly questionable release of funds under the corporation’s Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM); and the alleged manipulation of the corporation’s financial status.
The PACC earlier tagged 36 PhilHealth officials for alleged irregularities in the state-run firm, composed of 10 board members of PhilHealth, 11 officials from the executive committee and other central office units, and 15 others from one of its regional offices.