[ad_1]
MANILA, Philippines – The interagency task force investigating alleged corruption at the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is not ruling out the possibility that “some other big shot may be caught,” Attorney General Menardo Guevarra said Monday. .
“We have just started and we are still uncovering more evidence, so who knows if any other big fish may be caught in the future,” Guevarra told senators during a hearing on the Justice Department’s proposed P22.5 billion budget. . (DOJ).
“Therefore, we are not excluding the possibility that other important people [be implicated]”He added.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), with the backing of the DOJ, previously filed a criminal complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman against PhilHealth officials, including its former chairman Ricardo Morales, for the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM) providing advances in emergency cash for medical expenses. facilities during the pandemic.
Some of the P30 billion MRI funds were allegedly given to hospitals that had not treated COVID-19 patients, for whom the emergency measure was intended.
The president of the Senate, Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, previously said that he was “stunned” that the task force did not recommend the presentation of charges against the Secretary of Health Francisco Duque III, who serves as ex-officio president of the board. from PhilHealth.
Sotto chairs the Senate Committee of the Whole, which previously recommended the filing of misconduct and corruption charges against Duque and several other officials for the allegedly questionable release of billions of funds through PhilHealth’s emergency cash advance measure. .
At the beginning of the hearing, Guevarra told senators that the task force intends to file more complaints about the release of the IRM fund in the coming days.
EDV
Read next
EDITOR’S SELECTION
MOST READ
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and more than 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download from 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For comments, complaints or inquiries, please contact us.
[ad_2]
