Newly-appointed PhilHealth chief Dante Gierran
MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Thursday expressed confidence that newly-appointed Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) chief Dante Gierran’s anti-fraud background will be put to good use in leading the embattled state-run insurance firm.
Duque noted that there is no doubt that Gierran, former director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has the characteristics needed for a PhilHealth president and chief executive officer and that he could contribute to the development of the agency.
“Wala namang kaduda-duda doon dahil abogado siya tapos CPA (certified public accountant) pa. Meron din siyang karanasan sa mga fraud, sa anti-fraud activities. Hindi siya pwedeng paikutan dahil marunong siya sa lahat ng mga anti-fraud activities, sa financial systems fraud. Lahat ‘yang mga ‘yan, alam niya yan,” he said in an interview on ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.
(There is no doubt about that because he is a lawyer and a CPA. He also has experience in dealing with fraud and in anti-fraud activities. He cannot be deceived on such matters. He knows financial systems fraud and all types of fraud.)
Gierran was named the new head of PhilHealth following the resignation of erstwhile president and CEO Ricardo Morales as the agency found itself entangled with piles of corruption allegations.
Gierran himself, however, admitted he has no knowledge or experience in the public health sector, although he said he knows about financial management and the law.
Section 14 of the Universal Health Care Act also states that 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 these expertise.”
Duque said Gierran’s lack of sufficient knowledge in public health would not be a problem, since there is a public health expert who would sit in the firm’s Board of Directors.
“Ngayon lang kasi, nagresign ‘yung member namin na public health expert pero madali naman punuin ‘yan at sya na ang paggagalingan ng kaalaman o sapat na impormasyon para maitugma ‘yung public health issues or public health considerations sa national health insurance program,” said Duque.
(Right now, the board member who is a public health expert resigned but the position will be easily filled. The public health expert will be the one to provide knowledge and information that will be needed for public health issues and considerations in the national health insurance program.)
During the hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts and Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability on Tuesday, Duque also said he is optimistic that Gierran will “ferret out the scalawags and return the public’s confidence in PhilHealth especially in these trying times” under the latter’s “most able leadership” in the state insurer.