House panels ask NBI to look into alleged P170-M ‘missing’ funds from PhilHealth

MANILA, Philippines — Two committees in the House of Representatives asked the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct a fact-finding probe on the alleged P170 million “missing” funds from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

This is in relation to the settlement between PhilHealth and the Hospital Managers Inc., which formerly managed the Cardinal Santos Medical Center.

READ: Plunder eyed vs ex-PhilHealth exec, Manila Archdiocese, hospital over ‘missing’ P170M

It was Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga who initiated the motion for the House committees of public accounts and good government and accountability to urge the NBI to probe the matter, adding that the case, which happened in 2011, has a prescriptive period of 20 years.

“Let us suggest to the NBI to conduct fact-finding [investigation] regarding this case because I understand this took place in 2011 and under the provision of the Revised Penal Code, I think the prescriptive period will be 20 years,” he said during the joint panel Hearing.

The motion was approved the two panels will recommend to the NBI to “make a study on this matter for possible filing of cases and for the government to collect the uncollected funds from the respective institutions.”

During the hearing, Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta once more brought up the settlement of PhilHealth and HMI in 2011 of about P70 million.

Initially, PhilHealth demanded P240 million from HMI because the hospital supposedly “under-deducted” from the payment balances of patients.

However, instead of refunding the said amount, HMI filed a case against PhilHealth, which led to an arbitration of the case and ended up in a settlement.

Former Senior Vice President for Legal Sector Edgar Asuncion reasoned that the P70 million settlement was decided by the court.

“After the court has appreciated all the evidence, the court found out that it was just P70 million. That was the purpose of judicial accounting because there was a big difference between what PhilHealth was saying and what HMI was saying,” he said.

JE