Morales’ resignation is his ‘personal decision’: Palace

FILE: PhilHealth President BGen Ricardo C. Morales (PIA photo)

MANILA – It was the “personal” decision of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) president and chief executive officer Ricardo Morales to heed President Rodrigo Duterte’s call to vacate his post, Malacañang said on Wednesday.

“(The) matter of resignation is the personal decision of the appointee. And if it is indeed filed, then it becomes my obligation to make it public,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque told CNN Philippines’ The Source.

Roque made the statement after Morales, in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo, said he would submit his resignation to Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Wednesday morning.

Asked if the Palace is expecting Morales to tender his resignation within the day, he said, “I’m not expecting anything but I will do my job (to announce if there is any).”

Morales’ decision to resign from his post came after Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra disclosed on Tuesday that Duterte had said it would be best for the embattled PhilHealth chief to quit his post due to his health condition.

Roque declined to spill further details about Duterte’s instruction to Morales.

“What is for public consumption is what is broadcasted every time the President meets with select members of the Cabinet and delivers his message to the people. So with your kind indulgence, anything not shown to the public is covered by executive privilege,” he said.

Morales, a retired Army general, was appointed to PhilHealth in August 2019.

He has been on leave to undergo treatment for lymphoma or cancer of the lymph nodes.

Morales’ disclosure that he has cancer came days after Duterte ordered on August 7 the creation of a task force to investigate the alleged rampant corruption and irregularities within PhilHealth.

The task force, led by Guevarra, only has one month to conduct the investigation.

PhilHealth was embroiled in controversies anew after resigned anti-fraud legal officer Thorsson Montes Keith bared this month that all members of PhilHealth’s executive committee have pocketed PHP15 billion from the state insurer’s funds.

Keith also claimed that the PhilHealth “mafia” has deep roots in the agency.

In a taped public address aired on state-run PTV-4, Duterte said he would use his last two years in office going after corrupt PhilHealth officials and employees.