Privatize PhilHealth? Pacquiao says sending corrupt execs to jail is ‘best’
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Manny Pacquiao on Friday thumbed down the proposed privatization of the embattled Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and instead suggested that corrupt officials of the agency be thrown in jail.
In a statement, the boxer-turned-politician said privatizing PhilHealth will go against its very purpose of providing socialized health care for all Filipinos, especially the poor.
“The best thing is to jail its corrupt officials instead of privatizing PhilHealth,” he said.
His statement comes after Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo recently filed House Bill No. 7429 or the Social Health Insurance Crisis Act of 2020, which will allow a sitting President to reorganize, privatize the entire PhilHealth or segments of it.
While he understands the frustration of many because of the allegations of massive corruption, Pacquiao said privatizing PhilHealth will “actually do more harm than good.”
He said privatizing will not guarantee that it will make PhilHealth more efficient and more reliable considering the country’s dismal record on privatized government assets.
What PhilHealth needs, he said, is the stemming of “systemic corruption” within the agency by revamping its management.
“We just need to overhaul PhilHealth and fill it with people who are honest, dedicated, and competent. Privatizing PhilHealth is not the answer. It could even do more damage to our social health care system,” the senator said.
He added the proposal will just “shield” its officers from corruption and plunder cases.
Once PhilHealth is privatized, the people who plundered the agency can only be sued for estafa or civil damages, Pacquiao warned.
Further, he said privatizing PhilHealth will turn it into a profit-driven organization just like all other private health insurers.
Pacquiao said this will immediately impact PhilHealth members, who the senator pointed out would have to pay higher premiums, thus, denying the poor affordable health care.
The senator added that the privatization of PhilHealth will also run counter to the Universal Health Care Law which promises universal health care coverage for all Filipinos.
“Itong PhilHealth ay pinapatakbo ng pamahalaan dahil wala itong ibang layunin kundi ang mabigyan ng mura at sapat na kalingang pang-kalusugan ang ating mga mamamayan, kasama na ang ating mga mahihirap na kababayan. Itong ay isang serbisyo-publiko at hindi isang negosyo,” Pacquiao said.
(PhilHealth is run by the government because it serves no other purpose than to give affordable and sufficient health care to everyone, including the poor. This is public service and not a business.)
PhilHealth has been embroiled in fresh allegations of corruption and fraudulent schemes after a sitting board member and a resigned anti-fraud officer have alleged that a so-called “mafia” in PhilHealth has allegedly been orchestrating large-scale corruption within the corporation for years.
Aside from a Senate probe, PhilHealth is also facing separate corruption investigations by the House of Representatives, the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), and a task force created by President Rodrigo Duterte and led by the Department of Justice.
