Duterte vows to endorse cases vs PhilHealth execs involved in corruption

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to go after officials involved in corrupt practices in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), saying he himself would endorse the cases to be filed against them.

In a public address aired on Tuesday, Duterte said he would affix his signature in endorsing cases to be filed against PhilHealth officials proven to be involved in the anomalies in the state insurer.

“I assure you, I will be the one to endorse the case to the prosecuting office. Ako ang magpirma mismo. If we are through with the investigation, allow the Secretary of Justice to complete the investigation. His signature of the endorsement will be accompanied by my signature,” Duterte said.

Earlier, Duterte created a task force led by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate fresh allegations of corruption within PhilHealth.

“Yung PhilHealth, dapat imbestigahan and dapat i-prosecute lahat at dapat ikulong. Kung yun na lang ang trabaho ko na maiwan ko sa dalawang taon, yan ang gagawin ko. One of the few things that I can do in the remaining two years of my term. Uubusin ko ito, yung panahon ko, to work on the cases on people who are involved in the PhilHealth [anomalies],” he added.

PhilHealth has been embroiled in fresh allegations of corruption after a sitting board member and a resigned anti-fraud officer claimed that a so-called “mafia” in PhilHealth has allegedly been orchestrating large-scale corruption within the corporation for years.

Aside from the DOJ-led task force, the state insurer is also facing a separate investigation by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) and congressional inquiries.

EDV