Duterte orders probe of PhilHealth OIC for alleged excessive trips

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered an investigation into the reported excessive trips and allowances of the interim president of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), Malacañang said on Monday.

“Well, alam ko po iimbestigahan din po iyan ng Presidente,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.

[Well, I know that the President is having that investigated.]

The Commission on Audit (COA) had earlier asked PhilHealth officer-in-charge Celestina Ma. Jude de la Serna to explain her travels amounting to P627,293.04 in just one year despite the agency’s massive net income loss of P8.92 billion.

Roque said the President was serious in cleaning the bureaucracy of corrupt officials.

“Dahil prayoridad po talaga ng Presidente na magbigay nung universal health care. At talagang kung hindi po malilinis ang hanay ng PhilHealth, hindi po magkakatuparan itong universal health care,” he said.

[It’s really the President’s priority to provide universal health care. And if he can’t clean up PhilHealth, universal health care can’t be implemented.]

“So ito lang po ang maipapangako ko po: Talagang bibigyan po ng importansiya paglilinis sa hanay ng PhilHealth,” he said.

[So this is all I can promise: Cleaning up PhilHealth will be given importance.]

The Palace official said that all sides would be heard during the investigation after De la Serna has expressed her desire to meet the President and air her side on the issue.

“I think like all controversies [this will be] investigated and everyone will be heard,” he said. /atm