THE Department of Justice-led Task Force PhilHealth on Tuesday said it would continue its probe to identify other individuals involved in the multibillion corruption plaguing the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.
The task force issued the statement a day after submitting to President Duterte its report on its 30-day investigation into PhilHealth’s fund mess, recommending the filing of criminal and administrative charges against seven agency officials.
However, the task force recommendation was criticized for its failure to include Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and PhilHealth Senior Vice President for Legal Sector Rodolfo del Rosario among those it recommended to be charged.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, head of Task Force Philhealth, said that the report submitted to the President was only preliminary and that further investigation will be done to determine whether there are other officials and individuals who should be made liable for the anomalies,
“Our report is about our initial findings only. Further investigation will be conducted and more people may be charged,” Guevarra saidd.
Cabinet accountability
Duque and other Cabinet secretaries who are ex-officio members of PhilHealth’s board of directors, could still face charges for their negligence in the performance of their duties, according to Presidential spokesman Harry Roque
He made the remark after the task force initially recommended that Duterte only “strongly admonish” them.
Aside from Duque, the other ex-officio members of PhilHealth’s Board are Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III.
In the initial report it submitted to Duterte on Monday, the task force flagged the said PhilHealth board members for allowing the alleged anomalous Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM) and purchase of overpriced information and community technology (ICT) equipment.
It noted the failure of the officials to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of fraud in PhilHealth.
The liability of the Cabinet officials, the task force said, was somewhat mitigated by the attempts of PhilHealth’s executive committee to hide pertinent documents from the PhilHealth Board of Directors.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III criticized the non-inclusion of Duque from the list of government officials facing charges, saying Duque’s attempt to wash his hands off the mess makes him liable for another offense in the Revised Penal Code: criminal negligence.
Ongoing probe
Roque, however, stressed ex-officio members of PhilHealth are still not absolved since the investigation on the irregularities in the state insurer is still ongoing.
“This is only the beginning. It is indicated in the report that the investigation of NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] and DOJ [Department of Justice] and Ombudsman [on the matter] is ongoing,” Roque said in an online press briefing on Tuesday.
The said agencies may recommend the filling of more charges in the coming weeks, Roque said.
Among those recommended to be criminally charged were resigned PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer (PCEO) Ricardo C. Morales; Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Arnel de Jesus; Senior Vice President Jovita V. Aragona, Chief Information Officer and Head of the Information Management Sector; Senior Vice President Renato Limsiaco Jr.; Senior Vice President Israel Francis A. Pargas; Officer in Charge Calixto Gabuya Jr.; and Division Chief Bobby A. Crisostomo.
DOJ spokesman and Undersecretary Markk Perete said the charges would be filed against those named in the report as soon as the complaints and the collation of supporting documents are finalized.
He said criminal and administrative cases would be filed either with the Office of the Ombudsman, with prosecutors or with PhilHealth depending on the crime committed and/or rank of the respondent.
The task force turned down media’s request for a copy of the report, saying that it contains information on ongoing investigations member-agencies of the task force.
In its 177-page report, the task force concluded that “persons who are supposed to set the policies and operational guidelines for the management of PhilHealth—the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee—have not shown the due diligence required of them in the discharge of their duties.”
Officials air side
Embattled PhilHealth officials vowed to yield to any instructions that President Duterte may issue following the submission of the report of the task force.
While the state health insurer said it has yet to receive its official copy of the Task Force PhilHealth report, it expressed hope that the report would shed light on those who should be accountable, as well as those who are innocent.
“As always, it is reiterating its unwavering commitment to truth and justice. May the said report, which is also based on the recent congressional hearings, guide the proper authorities in pursuing those who had been culpable of wrongdoing and exonerate those that are innocent,” PhilHealth said in a statement signed by its EVP and COO Arnel F. de Jesus.
PhilHealth issued the statement after President Duterte approved the filing of charges against at least six former and current officials of the agency, including former PhilHealth CEO and President Ricardo Morales, who resigned last month to get treatment for his lymphoma, and de Jesus.
Duterte noted the listed officials supposedly violated the anti-graft law, engaged in malversation of public funds or property; committed gross neglect, and violated the internal revenue code; and concealed important documents.
Despite this, PhilHealth said it will continue to cooperate with authorities on subsequent investigations for the sake of truth and transparency.
With Bernadette D. Nicolas