Malacanang has yet to find a replacement for Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) President and Chief Executive Officer Ricardo Morales.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra confirmed this on Wednesday, Aug. 26, after learning that Morales has declared his intention to submit his resignation.
“Our immediate and urgent concern at the moment is to find a worthy replacement for him,” said Guevarra, the convenor of Task Force PhilHealth which is tasked to investigate anomalies at the government corporation.
Aside from Morales, PhilHealth Senior Vice President for the Legal Sector Rodolfo del Rosario, who is among those suspended by the Ombudsman for six months without pay, also announced on Monday that he is tendering his irrevocable resignation.
Del Rosario, who says that he has a “clear conscience,” explained that he decided to resign as he was the object of “character assassination, trial by publicity, and relentless persecution.”
Guevarra said he welcomes the resignation of PhilHealth officials since this would “probably make the investigation being conducted by Task Force PhilHealth a little easier.”
He said the task force has no authority to make recommendations of possible appointees to replace the resigned PhilHealth officials.
“Instead, the task force has recommended to the President that the Governance Commission for Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GCG) , which is under the Office of the President, be directed to study the possible reorganization of PhilHealth and the creation of an interim management committee,” the secretary said.
Morales said that he intends to submit his resignation letter to Malacanang also on Wednesday, Aug. 26.
The PhilHealth chief is currently on leave upon the advice of his doctor due to ongoing chemotherapy for his lymphoma or cancer of the lymph nodes.
Morales’ performance as PhilHealth chief has been under close scrutiny in light of numerous allegations of corruption taking place at the state-run insurer.
During a meeting with Cabinet members in Davao City last Monday, Aug. 24, President Duterte said that Morales should step down because of his health condition.
“The President took note last night of Morales’ on-and-off health situation, and stated that it would be best for the latter and for PhilHealth to give up his post during these critical times for the agency,” Guevarra previously revealed.
“ES Medialdea (Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea) added that he had talked earlier to Morales, and that the latter said he would understand if he had to be replaced,” he added.
Guevarra organized Task Force PhiHealth last Aug. 7 pursuant on orders of President Duterte.
The task force is composed of the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), Office of the Ombudsman (OMB), the Commission on Audit (COA), the Civil Service Commission (CSC), the Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP), the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), the National Prosecution Service (NPS), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).