Get the ‘rascals‘ out of ‘Fail-Health,’ Gordon says as insurer faces probes

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Richard Gordon called on Tuesday for an overhaul of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to rid it of “rascals” as allegations of anomalies continued to hound the state insurer.

“All the sins are untouched, untreated. That’s why we are in this hole right now. They get away with it,” a visibly piqued Gordon, speaking partly in Filipino, said during the resumption of the Senate investigation into fresh allegations of corruption within PhilHealth.

“That’s why ang credibility ng PhilHealth — or ‘Fail-Health’ — is really… They are being ridiculed. We all belong to this government. It’s only right that these rascals should be removed. Get the rascals out, overhaul it,” he added.

Before this, Gordon called attention to the millions of overpayments made by PhilHealth to several hospitals across the country, such as the Olegario General Hospital in Misamis Occidental.

He said PhilHealth reimbursed P38.2 million to the hospital when actual charges should have only been P5 million.

He said no official has been been made accountable for these overpayments, particularly regional executives.

“Did we ever punish these people? Did we ever investigate them? Have we ever prosecuted anybody? The answer is no. Zero prosecution,” Gordon said.

Responding to the issue Gordon raised about the overpayment to hospitals, the PhilHealth vice president for Northern Mindanao, Masiding Alonoto Jr., said appropriate cases over the overpayment to Olegario General Hospital had already been lodged before PhilHealth’s central office.

“This is really overpaid because it’s in our policy… hospitals charge only this much, but we pay more than what they charge us,” Alonto told senators.

“We have given several position papers on this matter… We have no choice but to pay the hospital. The appropriate charges have been filed, pending over central office for liquidation and prosecution,” he added.

Birthday bash

Gordon also pointed to a birthday party allegedly organized for the PhilHealth vice president for Calabarzon, Paolo Johan Perez, which the senator said involved an almost naked performer.

“Women should really go ballistic over this. He had his birthday. They opened a box. A naked woman came out on his birthday. He received a gift in an enormous box, a girl dressed in nothing but her underwear danced and gyrated provocatively in front of Perez,” Gordon said.

According to Gordon, a “smiling” Perez was seen in a video enjoying the performance.

“He did not prevent the incident or reported an issue or reprimanded the employees who brought the girl,” the senator said.

But Perez, who attended the hearing via videoconferencing, denied Gordon’s claims.

He said he was not aware that his staff would throw him a party, adding that the performer Gordon was referring to was only hired to perform a song.

“My staff prepared a program. They got a talent to sing. And it’s not true that the talent was naked. Because the crowd was noisy, she was not able to sing,” Perez said in Filipino.

“I knew nothing about it because it was my birthday. It came as a surprise to me,” he added.

Perez added that he stopped the program and told his staff to just eat.

But Gordon was not convinced, saying that the birthday party was held during office hours, to which Perex refuted: “It was during lunch break.”

Still, the senator said some officials within PhilHealth really had “no control.”

“I’m just trying to show the public that this is what happened. The public should know that PhilHealth really stinks,” Gordon said.

PhilHealth is currently facing separate corruption investigations over the allegedly questionable release of funds through its interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM) as well as the planned procurement of “grossly overpriced” IT equipment, among others.

During a Senate hearing last Aug. 4, a resigned PhilHealth anti-fraud officer, Thorsson Montes Keith, also alleged that a mafia-like syndicate has pocketed P15 billion through various schemes, including the release of funds through the IRM.

PhilHealth has denied this claim in the “strongest terms.”

PhilHealth also maintained that its IRM was “legal and necessary” for the country’s COVID-19 response amid controversies and allegations of favoritism in its implementation.

[atm]