Doc of the poor vs DOH chief

Dr. Hildegardes “Heal” Dineros, the new president and CEO of state-run PhilHealth, is trying to rid it of the practice by some doctors of making fraudulent claims with the agency.

Many PhilHealth personnel have been colluding with such doctors in making false claims for payment that have defrauded the agency of billions of pesos over the years.

One of Dineros’ moves was to reshuffle key PhilHealth personnel.

As a courtesy, Dineros informed Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial, ex officio PhilHealth chair, of his action via email.

Ubial’s reply, also via email, flustered Dineros.

Here’s what she told Dineros: “That is too disruptive. I would rather move people when we have filled up new COO and SVP positions. And besides, we are not sure if you will stay on or be replaced shortly (underscoring mine—RT).”

Was Ubial making a threat?

She sounded as if it was she who appointed Dineros to his position; President Digong did.

Dineros is known in medical circles as “doctor of the poor” for taking part in countless medical missions when he was still in private practice.

Here’s one for the books.

Police in Puerto Princesa City filed murder charges against Jhonie Adelion, a farmer, for the killing of businessman Alex Ongchocgan.

The victim’s family put up a P1-million reward for the solution of the crime, inspiring the police to come up with a suspect with undue haste.

The police produced three witnesses against Adelion; they later retracted their statements.

For reasons of his own, the Puerto Princesa city prosecutor didn’t want to handle the preliminary investigation and passed it over to the regional state prosecutor based in San Pablo City, Laguna.

Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Puerto Princesa arrested one Arnulfo Fernandez for the murder of a Joanna Chang based on a warrant issued by Judge Ambrosio de Luna.

During interrogation, Fernandez confessed to killing Ongchocgan.

He led the NBI to the place where he hid a .38-caliber revolver and a .357 magnum revolver, apparently used in the murders of Chang and Ongchocgan, and the motorcycle he used as getaway vehicle.

Fernandez’s admission that he killed Ongchocgan was corroborated by Ramil (surname not immediately available), who admitted driving the motorcycle from the crime scene.

The NBI-Palawan office invited Senior Supt. Ronnie Francis Cariaga, Puerto Princesa police chief, to inform him that it had the right suspect on the Ongchocgan case.

Cariaga stood by his men’s findings on Ongchocgan’s murder.

Adelion, whose arrest will come when the court issues a warrant against him, came to see me recently and pleaded that I help him get exonerated for a crime he didn’t commit.

Why is Cariaga still sticking to his men’s version even after the NBI has shown him Fernandez’s signed confession and other pieces of evidence—the supposed murder weapon, the getaway motorcycle, and the corroborating statement of Ramil.

Has Cariaga become so blinded by the P1-million reward that he’s sending an innocent man to prison?