MANILA – Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Tuesday said newly-appointed Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) chief Dante Gierran’s administrative skills and fiscal prudence would help in wiping out irregularities in the state insurer.
In a message to newsmen, Guevarra, who heads the inter-agency task force investigating anomalies in PhilHealth, welcomed the former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)’s appointment to the post by President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Former NBI director Gierran’s legal and accounting background, his well-known investigative skills, administrative abilities, and fiscal prudence make him fit for the PhilHealth top position, and equip him well to pursue the cleansing process and reformation at PhilHealth to their logical conclusion,” Guevarra said.
President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered Gierran to find the officials and persons responsible for irregularities in PhilHealth and has directed a reshuffle of the state firm’s regional vice presidents.
Gierran, a certified public accountant and a lawyer, served as NBI-Davao regional director before he was named as NBI director in 2016. He stepped down from the post upon his retirement in February.
Aside from citizenship requirements, under the Universal Health Care Law, the president and chief executive officer of PhilHealth must have at least seven years of experience in the field of public health, management, finance, and health economics or a combination of any of these fields.