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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Lacson lambast PhilHealth chief on PMA honor code

Lacson lambast PhilHealth chief on PMA honor code

Published Aug 6, 2020 11:23 am

One particular testimony uttered by retired Brigadier General Ricardo Morales, president and chief executive officer (EO) of the state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) seemed unacceptable to senator Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson.

Senator Panfilo M. Lacson
(CZAR DANCEL / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)

A fellow PMAer like Lacson, Morales told the Senate Committee of the Whole last Tuesday that the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) honor code does not apply to him anymore after leaving the Academy.
 
The motto of PMA, similar to the US West Point, is: Courage, Integrity and Loyalty.
 
Morales, is a PMA 1977 graduate while Lacson, a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, is a PMA 1971 graduate.
   
 ‘’Hello, di ako papalo roon. (I reject that),” was Lacson’s reaction to Morales’ statement regarding the PMA code.
 
 ‘’Para sabihin mong di applicable sa akin yan that is wrong. Applicable pero depende na sa iyo kung apply mo o hindi, pinagaralan mo apat na taon regimented bawal mag-lie, cheat, steal or tolerate, nasa iyo na yan. Depende na yan,’’ he stressed. (For you to stay that the Honor Code no longer applies to you is wrong. It is applicable but this depends on whether you apply it or not. We studied it for four years. It has been regimented to us not to lie, cheat or tolerate That is up to you.) 
 
‘’Para sabihin mong openly di applicable sa akin parang inamin mong meron kang ginagawa at di applicable sa iyo ang Honor Code,’’ he added. (For you to say that the Code no longer applies to you is, to me, an admission that you did something that the Code does not apply to you.) 
 
Lacson recalled Morales’ testimony last Tuesday that P10 billion was lost last year due to corruption while resigned PhilHealth anti-fraud officer, Thorrson Montes Keith, estimated the loss to reach P15 billion.         
 
The financial health of PhilHealth was expected to worsen next year. Lawmakers are now talking about giving PhilHealth subsidy through the national budget.     
 
Morales was appointed to head the country’s premier health care agency in July last year and was given the task to weed it of bad eggs. Not one has been fired since.                         
 
Asked whether the pieces of evidence so far gathered by the Senate are strong enough to necessitate the filing of criminal and administrative charges, Lacson replied: ‘’The answer is yes.’’
 
Lacson though would not comment further when asked about Morales being asked to go on leave during the duration of the senate investigation.
 
‘’That’s their call. Sa akin lagi ang pag-take ng leave or resignation, it’s always a personal decision. Depende sa delicadeza ng tao. Kung may sense of propriety anong level ng sense of propriety mo doon ka magde-decide,’’ he added. (On the matter of leave of absence or resignation, It is always a personal decision. That depends on the person’s sense of propriety.)
 
‘’It’s not for me or the Senate to tell them. Kami as a collegial body we decide to adopt a resolution calling for resignation of Secretary of Health (Fransisco) Duque na di nangyari,’’ he stressed. (We are a collegial body. We decided to adopt a resolution calling for the resignation if Duque but this (Duque’s voluntary resignation) did not happen.)
 

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