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Marcos doubts AMLC will find irregularities in bank accounts of PhilHealth officials
Marcos doubts AMLC will find irregularities in bank accounts of PhilHealth officials
Senator Imee Marcos said on Saturday that she will not be surprised should the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) find no irregularities in the bank accounts of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) officials who face allegations of corruption.
Marcos said that while the disclosure could aid in the investigation on the alleged anomalies in the PhilHealth, errant officers could have possibility used dummies to hide their actual bank transactions.
"Para namang 'di natin alam, pambihira naman, eh syempre 'di naman sa kanilang bank account 'yan. Maniwala ka (It's unbelievable, of course we are not ignorant that they could be using a different bank account. Believe me)," Marcos said in an interview with radio DWIZ.
"Ewan ko, sa tingin ko syempre malaking bagay 'yan, pero sa kabila no'n, wag tayo umasa na matutuklasan natin ang lahat dyan (I don't know, it could help, but despite that, we should expect that we will not uncover everything from it)," she added.
PhilHealth senior officials have agreed to sign bank secrecy waivers to allow the AMLC to look into their transaction and dispel claims that they have been involved in the irregularities concerning the state insurer.
PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Ricardo Morales has yet to publicly commit to do the same, although the agency's spokesperson, Shirley Domingo, said that she is willing to undergo lifestyle check.
"Sa palagay ko pwedeng useful kapag pumasok ang AMLC kahit papaano may mahahanap 'yan (I think it will be useful to the investigation if the AMLC will somehow find something). Pero ang ibig kong sabihin baka 'yong buong bulto ng amounts baka makaiwas pa sa plunder, baka makaiwas pa (But what I was saying is that the bulk of the amounts are kept in other accounts to get away from plunder)," Marcos said.
"So palagay ko kung matutuklasan ng AMLC, huwag tayong magulat, baka kakarampot na lang ang natitira dyan o nakatago sa pangalan ng iba pa (I think if the AMLC would find something, we should not be surprised that the remaining amounts are scanty, it might be hidden under other people's accounts)," she said.
Marcos maintained that PhilHealth senior officials should voluntarily resign or at least take a leave of absence while the investigations on the alleged anomalies in the government insurance firm are ongoing.