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This file photo shows Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor during a briefing in the House of Representatives. File photo from INQUIRER.net / Noy Morcoso
MANILA, Philippines – “We have not yet formally introduced legislation to be passed by the House, and yet they criticize the idea as if they already have a copy of the bill.”
Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor said on Friday when he struck out at senators that they are against the idea of granting President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to address problems plaguing state-owned Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
The legislator questioned how the senators, following their own investigation into PhilHealth, noted the “urgent need” for an intensive and extensive review and inspection of the financial life of the corporation, but “deny the need for emergency powers for this to happen. carry out. “
“The Senate has vigorously investigated PhilHealth on a number of occasions and is aware of deep-seated issues that must be addressed,” Defender said in a statement.
According to Defender, who chairs the House public accounts committee that led the lower house investigation into PhilHealth, the emergency powers are “necessary to give the president a free hand to reorganize Philhealth pending the investigation.” .
“For this purpose, the President may abolish or create offices; divide, group or merge positions, transfer functions, records and personnel in the pursuit of in-depth investigation and make PhilHealth more responsive and efficient, ”said Defender.
“Hiring staff and / or companies for auditing, actuarial, legal and financial purposes can also be done without going through cumbersome government processes that can take a year to be affected,” he added.
Defender added that the oversight function granted to the Senate and the Chamber under the Universal Health Law must be reaffirmed to ensure transparency in the actions that the Executive must carry out.
“A weekly review can be made to ensure the effectiveness of the reforms and actions undertaken by the executive. The emergency powers are limited in time and not in perpetuity, ”said Defensor.
Defender said that the work that legislators are doing “is not only for us, but also for the future of our children.”
“It does not cure or increase urination [This is not a contest on who is the best or either a pissing contest]”Said Defender.
Earlier, upper house leaders such as Senate Speaker Vicente Sotto III and Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said Duterte already has great authority to deal with issues within PhilHealth, giving him emergency powers to resolve health issues. corruption in the agency would no longer be possible. necessary.
“Emergency powers are of no use. We will oppose it in the Senate. The president can reform and reorganize PhilHealth without emergency powers from Congress, ”Drilon said in a statement.
“The president has great power under the Constitution and existing laws to reorganize and solve corruption at PhilHealth,” he also noted.
Meanwhile, Sotto said he would have to look at the House panel’s proposal on the kind of power it seeks to give the chief executive.
“Anything they want the president to do, he can do now, even without emergency powers, that’s what we believe, so we’d rather see what your proposal is, what kind of emergency powers will be granted, he adds, what? can’t you do it now? ”Sotto said in an interview with CNN Philippines.
(What kind of emergency powers are we going to grant, that we add, that he can’t do right now?)
JPV
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