Guevarra orders NBI to preserve PhilHealth records

MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Saturday that he has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to “immediately take measures to protect and preserve” the official records in the regional offices of Philippine Health Insurance Corp., whose top-ranking officials are being probed for corruption and anomalies.

Guevarra, chair of an interagency government body that is investigating the top PhilHealth officials, said PhilHealth records were public documents.

He gave the order after NBI field operatives inspected the PhilHealth’s Ilocos regional office in Dagupan City, Pangasinan following reports of its roof leaking during the rains last Wednesday that allegedly destroyed important documents.

“It appears that many of the records have been saved but the computer hardware and equipment were exposed to rainwater leaks. The NBI agents noticed that the rain gutters of the building were clogged and saw a piece of cloth stuck in the opening of the drainpipe,” Guevarra said.

Asked if the cloth in the drainpipe was deliberately placed there, he replied, “It’s hard to say, without evidence, if the cloth stuck in the drainpipe was accidental or intentional.”

“We will know the extent of the damage and its impact on the ongoing investigations once the computer system is run again,” he added.