DOJ hopes to finish PhilHealth probe, file cases in 30 days

MANILA, Philippines — Three more top officials of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) are set to testify next week before an interagency task force created to investigate alleged corruption and other anomalies in the state-owned medical insurance firm.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, who chairs the task force, said two PhilHealth board members and the head of the internal legal office would be testifying in the Sept. 1 hearing.

He said the task force had summoned at least 10 resource persons.

The chief of the Department of Justice (DOJ) said he was glad no one has so far declined to speak before the body, adding, “I think they feel more at ease in the hearings of the task force, so they give more information freely.”

Guevarra said he was confident the task force “will be able to have a broad overview of the systemic problems plaguing PhilHealth” by the end of the 30-day period given to the body.

He said the task force also hoped to be able to file “certain” legal actions with the Office of the Ombudsman by then.

Guevarra said it would be premature to make conclusions on what the task force have heard, adding, “We have to analyze and integrate the pieces of evidence so far gathered.”