By Analou de Vera and Argyll Cyrus Geducos
“I’m scared but I am not cowed.”
Former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Dante Gierran stressed this a few hours after President Duterte announced his appointment as new president of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
In his public address aired Monday night, Duterte reminded Gierran, who was present during the meeting in Malacañang, that the remaining two years of his administration will be devoted to the fight against corruption.
He told the new PhilHealth president to look for people they can send to jail.
“Maghanap kayo ng mapakulong natin para may maiwan tayo sa kulungan (Look for people we can imprison so we can leave someone behind bars),” he said Monday evening.
President Duterte likewise ordered Gierran to sack all PhilHealth regional vice presidents whether they are good performers or not.
“I want to see a reshuffle of the regional offices within the next two or three days… Yung lahat ng mga regional vice presidents tanggalin ninyo (Remove all regional vice presidents) – whether performing, at par, or in parity with the other good ones,” he said.
“You know if they are there for so long a time, the element of familiarity always enters the picture. ‘Yan ang mahirap diyan (That’s the problem),” he added.
Duterte said those who refused to be removed from their post will be moved to Malacañang instead.
“I will send them a memorandum. I will ask them to report to me dito sa Malacañang,” he said.
“I will ask them to do research on how not to serve a government properly. That should be the thesis – how not to serve the government properly. You study on that,” he added.
Gierran has admitted that he is not familiar with the operations of PhilHealth, but he has a background in financial management and insurance.
“I would like to succeed…I’m scared but I am not cowed,” said Gierran said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) hours later.
“I do not know the operation of PhilHealth. Unlike in the NBI, I have been in the NBI when I was appointed director, I had been with the NBI for 27 years,” said Gierran.
“I don’t have experience about public health. What I have knowledge of is financial management, being a certified public accountant, and about law, about insurance, and of course my knowledge about investigation,” he added.
In the same ANC interview, Gierran said he will reorganize PhilHealth with the help of President Duterte.
“ volunteered first, sabi niya ‘I will reorganize PhilHealth’,” Gierran said.
Gierran said he will also create his own management committee.
His second plan is to “resuscitate” the financial condition of PhilHealth.
“I will look into the financial condition of PhilHealth because there were allegations in the past that PhilHealth will not survive in two years. So, I will have to know how much money it has at the moment,” he said.
Gierran said he never thought that he would be appointed as chief of the embattled agency.
“Actually in the first place, I did not apply for the position… I have been inactive for six months. I never thought that I would be appointed for the position,” he said.
“I know the gargantuan job that I have to take on with being appointed as the new chief of PhilHealth,” he added.
Meanwhile, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Gierran was a “very good choice” to lead the state insurer amid persistent claims of corruption and funds mismanagement.
Senator Panfilo Lacson said he does not question Gierran’s integrity due to his background in leading the NBI. He, however, said he hopes that the new PhilHealth chief will not be manipulated by unscrupulous people surrounding the corporation.
“I hope and I mean it – that PhilHealth will not be Dante’s Inferno,” Lacson also said of Gierran in a tweet Monday night.
Senator Grace Poe said she hopes for “drastic” reforms in PhilHealth
under Gierran’s leadership.
“The job at hand is tough. However, it is critical in safeguarding not just the health but the wealth of the Filipino people,” she added.
“A piece of advice to Gierran: Transparency is an effective tool to prevent corruption,” Senate Minority Leader Franklin said.
Drilon said he hopes Gierran’s leadership in PhilHealth will finally shine a light on the agency “which operates in the dark.” (With reports from Noreen Jazul, Vanne Elaine P. Terrazola, and Hannah L. Torregoza)
READ MORE: Duterte wants overhaul of PhilHealth under Gierran