Task force eyes filing more complaints over PhilHealth fund mess this week

MANILA, Philippines — The task force created by President Rodrigo Duterte to probe anomalies in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is eyeing to file more complaints this week as it conducts a deeper probe into alleged irregularities in the state insurer, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra told senators.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), with the endorsement of the Department of Justice, earlier filed with the Office of the Ombudsman criminal complaints against PhilHealth officials including its former president Ricardo Morales for the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM) that provided emergency cash advances for medical facilities during the pandemic.

“During the task force deliberations po we focused on three major areas namely yung sa IRM, yung sa kanilang procurement ng ICT equipment at yung legal sector. Patuloy pa rin po ang aming investigation at baka this week ay meron pa rin po kaming pahabol na complaints in connection with the IRM,” Guevarra said during a Senate budget hearing on Monday.

“Kasunod na rin po niyan marahil ang aming complaints na ifa-file in connection with the ICT procurement at ganon din po ang legal sector na tinignan din po ng task force PhilHealth,” he added.

‘Deeper’ probe

Guevarra, upon questioning by Senator Imee Marcos, said that the task force will continue to dig deeper into other areas of fraudulent activities in PhilHealth.

“The various member agencies of the task force, although tapos na po yung pagsa-submit namin ng report to the president, we agreed to continue working together, coordinating with each other for a deeper investigation of other areas of fraud or corruption in the PhilHealth,” the justice chief said.

Aside from the Department of Justice, the task force is also composed of the Office of the Ombudsman, Commission on Audit, Civil Service Commission, Office of the Executive Secretary, Office of the Special Assistant to the President as well as the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission.

JE