Solon wants special audit of PhilHealth to ‘uncover anomalous transactions’

A partylist lawmaker has called on the Commission on Audit (COA) to conduct a special audit of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to “uncover all the anomalous policies and transactions the agency has done,” including the “disenfranchisement” of millions of seniors from PhilHealth coverage.

Senior Citizen partylist Rep. Milagros Aquino-Magsaysay issued the remark on Monday after President Rodrigo Duterte reportedly fired PhilHealth interim head Celestina Ma. dela Serna, who is under investigation for her excessive trips and allowances.

READ: Duterte fires PhilHealth’s Dela Serna over alleged excessive trips, allowances

“I welcome the decision of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to fire the OIC of PhilHealth. I also take this opportunity to ask the Commission on Audit to conduct a special audit of the PhilHealth to uncover all the anomalous policies and transactions the agency has done since 2015 until the present, including the ‘disenfranchisement’ of millions of seniors from PhilHealth coverage,” Aquino-Magsaysay said in a statement.

Meanwhile, opposition lawmaker Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin said Dela Serna should have not been appointed in the first place because she “lacks qualifications.”

“PhilHealth chief Dela Serna should have not been appointed in the first place. She lacks the qualifications to head PhilHealth except being close to the President through her father,” Villarin pointed out.

For his part, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano criticized the President’s kind of appointment.

“This shows the kind of appointment the President has. He appoints, he fires. Pambayad utang lang ang mga posisyon sa gobyerno para sa mga kaibigan, kakilala (Giving government positions is his way of paying his debts to his friends, acquaintances), at supporters. The more often he fires his appointees, the more people he can pay his debt of gratitude,” he said.

Malacañang has yet to issue its official statement regarding the reported dismissal of Dela Serna. Roy Ferrer, a board member of PhilHealth who hails from Davao City, is reportedly going to replace her. /je