MANILA, Philippines — After a hashtag on the alleged corruption within Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) went viral, Malacañang assured Friday that it is not going easy in cleansing the agency’s ranks.
“There is no let-up in our drive to make erring officials of the Philippine Health Corporation (PhilHealth) accountable for their alleged misdeeds,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.
Roque was sought for comment on the #wag_kalimutan_yung_binulsang_15billion_sa_philhealth_challenge that has been circulating over Twitter and Facebook.
PhilHealth’s former anti-fraud officer Thorrsson Montes Keith had earlier claimed more or less P15 billion was “wasted or stolen” due to fraud within the state insurer.
The Palace official assured that the Department of Justice is already finalizing complaints against erring PhilHealth officials for filing.
“At the same time, the composite teams tasked to look into but not limited to the PhilHealth Legal Sector are continuing their investigation,” Roque said.
“Zero tolerance against corruption is not just a catchphrase but a serious matter in the current administration,” he went on.
Previously, President Rodrigo Duterte approved the task force recommendation to file charges against PhilHealth officials, including its former chief Ricardo Morales.
The charges were for graft, malversation, and the illegal use of public funds, gross misconduct, and gross neglect, among others.