Several PhilHealth officials have signed bank secrecy waivers, says spokesperson

MANILA, Philippines — The spokesperson of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) on Saturday bared that several of its officials already signed a bank waiver, which will allow the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to look into their bank deposits and transactions.

“Yes, nag-sign na kami, di ko lang alam kung na-forward na ito sa Congress. Pero isa ako sa nag-sign,” PhilHealth spokesperson Dr. Shirley Domingo said over radio station DZBB.

(Yes, we already signed, but I don’t know if this was already forwarded to Congress. But I was one of those who signed.)

“Most of the ExeCom (Executive Committee) members, including myself. Hindi ko alam yung eksaktong number,” she added.

(Most of the ExeCom members, including myself. I don’t know the exact numbers of those who signed.)

Asked if PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Ricardo Morales was among those who signed the bank waiver, Domingo said she does not know.

“But he announced, along with the ExeCom members,  that he is willing to go to a lifestyle check,” Domingo said.

It was House Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte who posed the challenge to PhilHealth officials, as the agency was marred with fresh corruption allegations.

But in the same joint hybrid hearing of the House committees on good government and public accountability on Wednesday, Morales, along with other two PhilHealth officials, suddenly left, citing health reasons.

CFC