Palace: Replacing PhilHealth’s former chief ‘enough’ to restore public trust

MANILA, Philippines — For Malacañang, it is enough that President Rodrigo Duterte replaced the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) chief to restore public trust to the state insurer amid allegations of corruption.

“Tingin ko naman sapat ang ginawa ni Presidente na pinalitan niya po at nagtalaga siya ng bagong presidente at CEO ng PhilHealth at nagpapatuloy po ang imbestigasyon,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Wednesday in an interview over PTV when asked how to return public trust to PhilHealth despite controversies.

(I think it’s enough that the President replaced PhilHealth’s president and designated a new one and that the investigations are continuing.)

Former PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales resigned after President Rodrigo Duterte himself asked the former to step down due to his on-and-off health condition. Morales is battling lymphoma and undergoing treatment.

Morales was replaced by former National Bureau of Investigation director Dante Gierran.

Roque pointed out that many PhilHealth officials have already been slapped with preventive suspension for six months.

READ: Ombudsman orders six-month suspension vs 13 PhilHealth officials

“So tingin ko po, seryoso ang Presidente at tinatanggap ng taumbayan kung gaano ka-seryoso ang Presidente para linisin ang hanay dyan sa PhilHealth nang sa ganon, magkaroon ng katuparan ang ating sinulong na universal health care [law], libreng gamot at libreng pagamot sa lahat ng Pilipino,” Roque said.

(So, I think the public is welcoming with how serious the President is in cleaning PhilHealth’s ranks in order to fully implement the universal health care law and to provide free medicine and medication to all Filipinos.)

The President has already ordered Gierran to implement a reshuffle within the state insurance firm.

JE