Roque vows to reveal new PhilHealth anomalies

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Wednesday he will soon reveal new anomalies at the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) as he slammed its leadership for alleged failure to go after corrupt officials.

Roque said corruption still persists in the agency even after President Rodrigo Duterte changed its management last year following allegations that PhilHealth funds may have been misused to pay for the dialysis treatments of non-existent patients.

“Meron na naman pong bagong kalokohan diyan. Kaya lang po nahihirapan ako dahil presidential spokesperson pa rin po ako pero hindi ko po maiwan ‘yung katotohanan na tayo ang nagsulong ng universal healthcare tapos hindi magtatagumpay dahil lamang sa korapsyon,” Roque, a former party-list congressman, said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.
“Iniisip ko na nga po, magpapaalam na ako kay Presidente, siguro tuluyan ko na lang, full-time ko na lang talagang linisin ‘yang PhilHealth na ‘yan dahil gusto ko naman ‘yan ang magiging legacy ko.”
Roque issued the statement after PhilHealth president Ricardo Morales told lawmakers on Tuesday that the state insurer is projected to have a fund deficit in the next four years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down businesses and displaced millions of workers.

The workers are among those who pay insurance premiums to PhilHealth.

Morales recommended a general delay on the implementation of the universal healthcare program as well as to postpone the expansion of the primary care benefit.

Corruption

But Roque said PhilHealth’s funds are depleting due to corruption.
“Bakit ni isa wala pa siyang [Morales] nalilitis? Ni isa wala pa siyang natatanggal tapos magrereklamo siya na walang pera. Natural dahil ang mga buwaya buhay na buhay pa rin diyan sa PhilHealth,” Roque said.

“Huwag pong magbulag-bulagan, huwag magbingi-bingihan. Sapat na panahon na po ang lumipas para maimbestigahan na niya at nalaman na niya kung ano ang nangyayari sa PhilHealth.”

GMA News Online has reached out to PhilHealth Vice President for Corporate Affairs Gigi Domingo for comment but has yet to receive a reply as of posting time.

Morales assumed the presidency of PhilHealth in June 2019.

Source: — RSJ, GMA News

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