PhilHealth mess magnifies ‘pervasive’ corruption in gov’t: PRRD

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte during a ceremony at the Malacañan Palace on July 8, 2019. ALFRED FRIAS/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday stressed the prevalence of corruption in the country by citing the ghost claims that hounded the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) in the past months.

“The recent uncovering of the massive fraud that perpetrated against the public health insurance proved that corruption is pervasive. (A) Huge amount of medical funds were released to ghost claims and imaginary treatment of ghost payments. I am grossly disappointed,” Duterte said in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).

In June, the PhilHealth’s reputation was marred by ghost medical claims filed on behalf of deceased dialysis patients of WellMed Dialysis Center.

To solve the issue, Duterte has instructed the National Bureau of Investigation to arrest the perpetrators.

“The government is robbed of millions of pesos which could be used to treat illnesses and possibly save the lives of many. I appointed a new PhilHealth president, whom I know is a man of integrity and military man, a former military officer,” he said.

Duterte added that he has given PhilHealth head Ricardo Morales “marching orders to prioritize weeding the agency of corruption”.