SENATORS will pursue Tuesday’s scheduled inquiry into alleged PhilHealth anomalies despite an earlier declaration of a two-week lockdown of Senate premises amid the Covid contagion.
This was confirmed on Monday by Senate President Tito Sotto III who initiated the PhilHealth probe with Sen. Panfilo Lacson.
According to Sotto, the PhilHealth probe set to open at 9 a.m. is not covered by the two-week “lockdown” that senators had reached a consensus on last Sunday, as the chamber’s support for exhausted frontliners who begged government for a “timeout” as Covid-19 infections keep rising, and health facilities and manpower complements are overwhelmed.
Describing Tuesday’s PhilHealth hearing as “hybrid,” Sotto said that while resource persons invited to testify need to be present at the hearing, senators may opt to be “physically present or virtually present” through videoconference mode.
Among those called to testify are PhilHealth President Ricardo Morales and all vice presidents, as well the board members.
Also summoned to appear at the hearing was Atty. Thorson Montes Keith, resigned anti-fraud legal officer who blew the lid on alleged anomalies at PhilHealth, triggering the Committee of the Whole inquiry.
Earlier, Sotto confirmed the Senate will be locked down for two weeks as a gesture of “support and concern” for the medical frontliners who requested a two-week “time-out.”
This developed as Senator Lacson confirmed at least two other witnesses are expected to testify under oath before Senate probers, apart from Keith: Etrotal Laborte, a former head executive assistant of Morales, and Board Member Alejandro Cabading.
Lacson said he will confer with fellow senators to consider providing security to witnesses who will testify and provide information detailing PhilHealth anomalies.