With his “no-mercy” rule for corruption, President Duterte has vowed to get rid of dishonest officials in the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
The President warned that if the corrupt officials managed to elude accountability during past administrations, he would make sure they will be caught during his term.
“Huwag kayong magkakamali. Itong PhilHealth, sabi ko yayariin ko kayo. Maniwala kayo (Do not make a mistake. On PhilHealth, I said I will finish you off. Believe me),” Duterte said during his public address aired on state television Monday night.
“Nakalusot kayo sa ibang maybe presidente, o dito sa akin sadsad talaga kayo. Maniwala kayo (You eluded maybe other presidents but in my term, you will fall. Believe me),” he added.
As for those “innocent” of anomalies in PhilHealth, Duterte assured that they should not worry amid his anti-corruption campaign. He advised the upright public servants just to “continue working.”
The President recently ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to create a panel to investigate the “various allegations of corruption and anomalies” in PhilHealth.
The panel, led by the DOJ, is authorized to conduct an audit of the PhilHealth's finances as well as lifestyle checks on its officials and employees. It may also recommend to the President the imposition of preventive suspension of any PhilHealth official to ensure the investigation will be unhampered.
The panel is expected to submit its findings and recommendations to the President in 30 days.
Before mentioning PhilHealth in his televised remarks, Duterte affirmed his zero tolerance for corruption in government that hamper public service and cause delays in processing of permits. Duterte said he will run after corrupt officials and ensure they suffer in jail.
“Malaki ang parusa ng graft and corruption (There is a huge penalty for graft and corruption),” he said.
“Ipahabol ko kayo. Walang pakiusapan. No mercy ako. Either supporter kita, tumulong ka sa eleksyon. Sinabi ko sa inyo ang pinaka-tulong sa akin, huwag mo pahirapan ang gobyerno to act (We will run after you. There will be no appeals. No mercy even if you're a supporter, you helped in the election. I said you can help me by not making it difficult for the government to act),” he said.