Lacson, Drilon think new ‘conduit’ for corruption active in PhilHealth

MANILA, Philippines — Have corrupt officials of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) found a new “conduit” similar to a dialysis center earlier tagged in the “ghost” dialysis scam?

At least two senators believe so after the resumption of the Senate’s investigation into alleged irregularities exposed an allegedly questionable release of P45 million in COVID-related funds to B. Braun Avitum, a dialysis center.

B. Braun was also alleged to be involved in the P9.7 million wrongly credited by some PhilHealth regional officials to a rural bank in Bataan.

In an interview with reporters on Wednesday, Senator Panfilo Lacson was asked if he thinks B. Braun is the “new conduit” of PhilHealth following the case of WellMed Dialysis Center, the accreditation of which was withdrawn after it was linked to the “ghost” dialysis scam unraveled in 2019.

“Well it seems like ganun nga kasi parang yung situation ng WellMed noon parang dito naman, ang pumalit naman sakanya ngayon sa ibang scheme naman yung B. Braun Avitum kasi maraming kwestyon,” Lacson said in response to the question.

“Yung WellMed mas grabe yon kasi patay na yung pasyente ng dialysis naniningil pa, e nasan ngayon yung mga na-involve sa WellMed? Na-promote,” he added.

He was referring to four officials tagged in the dialysis scam, whom PhilHealth president and CEO Ricardo Morales approved of the promotion of.

“Sana naman yung mai-invovle dito sa B. Braun kung meron man, wag na ma-promote ulit. Parang vicious cycle na lang nangyayari,” Lacson went on.

Asked a similar question in a separate online interview, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon that B. Braun seems to be the “conduit” of corruption in PhilHealth.

“There is a prima facie case that B Braun is the conduit,” Drilon said.

“Why is there a bank account where these funds went in Bataan. So unusual. What happened? Why [does] B Braun appear to be the beneficiary?” he added.

/MUF