Roque: PhilHealth senior executives asked to submit courtesy resignations

MANILA, Philippines — Senior executives of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) have been asked by its president and CEO Dante Gierran to submit their courtesy resignations in a bid to reorganize the corruption-hit state insurance agency, Malacañang said Friday.

“Atty. Gierran knows that he does not have much time. And that’s why I think it was important for him to request all the senior executives to file their courtesy resignation because that’s the fastest way to reorganize (PhilHealth),” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an interview over CNN Philippines’ The Source.

Roque said the Palace supports Gierran’s initiative.

“I hope too that he will be guided by the Senate findings as well as the findings of Task Force PhilHealth,” he added.

Task Force PhilHealth, which is led by the Department of Justice (DOJ), has recommended the filing of graft charges against resigned PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Arnel De Jesus, Senior Vice Presidents Jovita Aragona, Renato Limsiaco, Jr., and Israel Francis Pargas; Officer-in-Charge Calixto Gabuya, Jr., and Division Chief Bobby Crisostomo.

President Duterte created the task force to probe PhilHealth officials over the corruption claims unearthed during recent congressional inquiries.

Among the 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.

The Senate’s Committee of the Whole that conducted its own investigation into the PhilHealth mess also recommended the filing of cases against Morales and several top-ranking officials including Health Secretary Francisco Duque III over the alleged misuse of funds under the state insurance firm’s emergency cash advance measure.

Duque, as Secretary of Health, serves as chairman of the PhilHealth board.

/MUF