Palace insists: Gierran qualified to become PhilHealth chief
MANILA, Philippines — Former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) chief Dante Gierran’s experience in management, accountancy, and criminal investigation makes him qualified — or probably be the “best choice” — to lead the embattled Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), Malacañang said Tuesday.
Following President Duterte’s announcement of his new designation, Gierran admitted he had no knowledge nor experience in the public health sector, one of the requirements as the head of the state insurance firm.
READ: Ex-NBI director Gierran is new PhilHealth chief
However, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the former NBI chief is qualified as he has already exceeded the required seven-year management experience.
“Hindi naman po kailangan health economics experienced, it’s one of the possibilities pero nagqualify po siya sa seven-year management experience,” Roque said in a televised Palace press briefing.
Under Section 14 of the Universal Health Care Law, the president and CEO of PhilHealth must have “at least seven years of experience in the field of public health, management, finance and health economics or a combination of any of this expertise.”
Roque also pointed out that Gierran’s experience as a criminal investigator and as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) will help weed out corruption within PhilHealth.
“Ang problema po sa Philhealth, korapsyon. Naisip ni Presidente ang pinakamagaling na italaga diyan ay number one ‘yung merong kakayahang mag-conduct ng imbestigasyon,” Roque said.
“At bukod pa po doon, dahil nga po ang krimen na nagaganap sa PhilHealth ay ‘yung tinatawag nating na while-collar crimes ay kinakailangan nakakaintindi rin po ng mga financial reports, financial records, at mga balance statements.
“Kaya nga po I think Director Gierran is the best choice dahil nga po siya ay CPA at lawyer din po na meron pang experience in criminal investigation. So asahan po nating malilinis ang hanay ng PhilHealth sa natitirang termino ng ating Presidente na dalawang taon,” he added.
Gierran still needs to be elected by the PhilHealth board before he can assume the role of CEO and president.
Once he assumes office, Gierran, who retired from the NBI in February 2020, will be tasked with cleaning up the state insurance firm whose officials have been hounded with accusations of systematic corruption.
Among allegations of corruption raised involve the procurement of alleged overpriced IT equipment; a supposedly questionable release of funds under the corporation’s Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM); and the alleged manipulation of the corporation’s financial status.
