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MANILA, Philippines – Secretary of Health Francisco Duque III and Rodolfo Del Rosario Jr., senior vice president of the legal sector of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), still resigned from the investigation that is being carried out on alleged irregularities in the state company.
Presidential anti-corruption commissioner Greco Belgica said Wednesday that the 30 days given to the PhilHealth Task Force to submit a report to President Rodrigo Duterte were not enough to investigate all of the corruption allegations plaguing the agency.
“No, definitely not. The investigation continues,” Belgica told ABS-CBN news channel when asked if Duque, who sits as chairman of the PhilHealth Board of Directors, is now free of liability after being barred from those whom the task force recommended facing charges for alleged corruption in PhilHealth.
“In the course of the investigation, we were able to obtain documents and evidence that opened more and other investigative leads that we have to base on a document. So Secretary Duque has not yet gotten out of trouble. A thorough investigation and accountability determination is underway across PhilHealth, ”he added.
Regarding Del Rosario, Belgium said that the working group mainly investigated problems in the agency’s Provisional Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM), so the official who resigned was also excluded from those recommended to face charges.
“Many of the cases in which Del Rosario was involved were not only at the IRM, so he is not free of responsibility,” explained the PACC official.
Belgium also noted that Duterte has not absolved anyone from PhilHealth, not even Duque, even though the president said he has “full confidence” in the Chief of Health before the working group presented its report.
He added that the task force has not exempted any of the accused officials from liability yet.
“The president has reiterated his confidence in Secretary Duque but has not ordered us to stop the investigation. In fact, he keeps telling us to investigate, ”he said.
“Wala pong kiniclear dito. Yung aming’s submission only says na ito po ang natapos namin during the 30 days on the subject we investigated. However, the creation of composite teams means that we are conducting the research and this will still include everyone, ”added Belgium.
(We have not authorized anyone. The report we submitted only included issues that we were able to investigate. However, creating composite teams means that we are conducting the investigation and this will still include everyone).
For Belgium, the task force’s recommendation of a “strong warning” against Duque and other members of the PhilHealth board is “probably [meant] to let people know that the investigation is not over yet. “
Duterte previously approved the task force’s recommendation to bring criminal and administrative cases against former PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales and several other officials for alleged wrongdoing at the agency.
In addition to Morales, among those who will be criminally and administratively charged are Senior Vice President Jovita Aragona, Officer-in-Charge Calixto Gabuya Jr., Senior Vice President Renato Limsiaco, Senior Vice President Israel Francis Pargas, Chief Operating Officer Arnel de Jesus and division chief Bobby Crisostomo.
The allegations of wrongdoing launched against PhilHealth include those involved in the acquisition of allegedly overpriced IT equipment; the allegedly questionable release of funds under its Provisional Refund Mechanism; and the alleged manipulation of the financial status of the corporation.
EDV
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