New PhilHealth chief vows to stop irregularities in 2 years 

Former NBI director now PhilHealth chief Dante Gierran. INQUIRER.net file photo / CATHY MIRANDA

MANILA, Philippines — Newly-appointed Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) chief Dante Gierran on Thursday expressed confidence that he will be able to address and resolve the alleged irregularities surrounding the state insurer in two years.

In a televised briefing, Gierran noted that he has the support of President Rodrigo Duterte along with his former colleagues in the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in solving the PhilHealth mess.

“Sigurado yan, kakayanin. Kakayanin ko talaga yan,” Gierran said when asked if he will be able to address the problem before the President ends his term in 2022.

(That’s for sure, I will try my best.)

“Firstly, I have the full support of the President no less. I have the support of Senator Bong Go. I have the support of my former colleagues at the National Bureau of Investigation which is one of the units that comprise the task force currently investigating the corruption within PhilHealth,” he went on.

Gierran replaced former PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales who was asked to step down from his post due to his health condition. The latter is battling lymphoma and is undergoing treatment.

The President already ordered Gierran, a former NBI director, to implement a reshuffle within the state insurance firm.

Among the irregularities being probed are the release of funds to hospitals under PhilHealth’s Interim Reimbursement Mechanism and its allegedly overpriced information technology project.

gsg