‘Medical emergency’ temporarily halts House hearing on PhilHealth mess

MANILA, Philippines — A medical emergency led to the temporary suspension of the House investigation on the alleged anomalies in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

During the joint hybrid hearing of the House committee on public accounts and the committee on good government and public accountability, House Minority Leader Bienvenido Abante Jr. was grilling PhilHealth officials when Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor chimed in to suspend the hearing due to a “medical emergency.”

According to Defensor, who chairs the House committee on public accounts, PhilHealth Senior Vice President Atty. Rodolfo Del Rosario Jr. is seeking “assistance.”

“Session suspended. We have a medical emergency. Nagkaroon lang si Atty. Del Rosario, humingi lang ng (asked for) assistance,” Defensor said.

Just minutes before the hearing was suspended, Defensor also announced that Executive Vice President Arnel De Jesus also asked to be excused after not feeling well.

“Si VP Arnel De Jesus kasi nagkaroon siya ng–recently nagpalit ng pacemaker so he’s still very weak that’s why he had to excuse himself earlier,” Defensor said.

(VP Arnel De Jesus recently had his pacemaker replaced so he’s still very weak that’s why he had to excuse himself earlier.)

“Itong is Atty. Rodolfo Del Rosario bigla sumama and pakiramdam. Mayroon siyang hypertension,” he added.

(Atty. Rodolfo Del Rosario felt unwell. He had hypertension.)

The hearing later on resumed after a few minutes.

In the last House hearing on the alleged anomalies hounding PhilHealth, both Del Rosario and De Jesus also had to leave in the middle of the hearing also because of health reasons.

De Jesus had to leave the hearing for the replacement of the battery of his pacemaker while Del Rosario “took a break” due to high blood pressure.

PhilHealth president and CEO Ricardo Morales also had to leave that hearing after “not feeling well.” [ac]