Go asks Ombudsman to probe PhilHealth anomalies

Sen. Christopher Go (Photo from his office)

MANILA, Philippines — Sen.  Christopher “Bong” Go on Tuesday, August 4, quizzed officials of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) on alleged corruption within the agency following its failure to release insurance claims to its accredited hospitals and alleged overpriced expenditures, among other issues.

“How can you help cure patients when you can’t cure problems in your own agency?” Go told officials of the state health insurance agency in Filipino during a hearing of the Senate convened as the Committee of the Whole.

“We really have to remove all those who are corrupt,” he added.

Go then asked the Ombudsman to look more deeply into the matter.

“I urge the Ombudsman to investigate so that we will know who should be held responsible,” he said. “Please get to the bottom of this mess. We need to know those who are behind this scheme, if there is in fact a mafia, and who are the people in it,” he said.

The Senator stressed that it was unacceptable that public funds intended to save lives were wasted due to corruption during this pandemic.

He pointed out further that PhilHealth, the implementer of the Universal Health Care Law, was even claiming that its funds had been depleted.

“The government is ready to help PhilHealth if it needs funds. But those involved in stealing the funds should be held accountable,” Go said. “It’s already short of funds, and yet they steal it and waste it. Where’s your sense of responsibility for your fellow Filipinos?”

He vowed that individuals who would be proven guilty of corruption would be held responsible.

“Those who need to be charged will be charged. Those who need to imprisoned will be imprisoned,” he said.

According to Go, besides the Senate probe, other investigative and fact-finding bodies were looking into these issues — including the Office of the President and the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission.

“Last year, there was a hearing of Blue Ribbon Committee to scrutinize the allegation of corruption in the agency,” he said. “I challenged General Morales to weed out corruption in the agency. But it seems so many have evaded being implicated in the allegation of corruption,” he said.

He was referring to Ricardo Morales, a retired Army brigadier general who is now president and CEO of PhilHealth.

He then stressed PhilHealth officials at hearing to ensure the proper use of taxpayers’ money.

“The people’s money should not have been wasted, especially the funds meant for the treatment of those who are sick. Not even a single peso should be lost to corruption. In this time of crisis, every peso counts,” he said.

“As I said at the hearing of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Universal Health Care, your premium collections dropped in the first half of 2020. The government is already doing its best to determine sources of funding to keep PhilHealth afloat,” Go added.

He then asked Morales and PhilHealth board member Alejandro Cabading about any reforms that had already been made to fight corruption inside the agency.

Morales said that the development of PhilHealth’s IT system program would reduce fraud in the agency.

Meanwhile, Cabading named top PhilHealth executives allegedly responsible for the anomalous practices and said that their dismissal would resolve corruption within PhilHealth.

Go noted that President Rodrigo Duterte had encouraged everyone to speak up and tell the truth about issues hounding the agency.

“Who really is to blame? Why is there no end to the so-called mafia and its corruption?” he added.

Nevertheless, Go said that he would continue to fight for additional funds needed to implement the Universal Health Care Law as long as PhilHealth could cleanse its ranks of corruption.

/atm