Senator Panfilo Lacson said Tuesday that he hopes the Department of Justice's (DOJ) investigation on the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHilHealth) will not be affected by President Duterte's defense of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.
"I'm hoping that the DOJ-led investigating the PhilHealth’s anomalies will continue performing its mandate, guided only by their appreciation of the evidence no matter who is involved, with or without the President's expressed opinion on Secretary Duque," Lacson said in a text message sent to reporters.
Duterte, on Monday night, defended anew Duque from calls for his resignation and cleared him of liability over the alleged corruption in the state insurer.
Duque, who concurrently chairs the PhilHealth Board of Directors, insisted that he had no hand in the reported anomalies and even complained to the Chief Executive that he has not been able to sleep because of his inclusion in the Senate's report.
During the President's address, DOJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the Task Force PhilHealth will submit its recommendations, which would possibly include the filing of charges against PhilHealth officials.
"I would like to think that Secretary Guevarra’s known probity and strong adherence to the rule of law will prevail over partisanship and other political or personal considerations," Lacson said.
Duterte's defense aside, Lacson maintained that Duque should take the initiative and quit his post for conflict of interest.
"His conflict of interest in allowing his family-owned corporation to directly transact business with PhilHealth and DOH by leasing their property and supplying pharmaceutical products to the agencies which he heads was unarguably enough reason for a decent public official to tender his resignation, or for an appointing authority to take the most proper action," he said.
He recalled his discovery last year that Duque's family-owned Educational and Medical Development Corporation leased a part of its building in Pangasinan to the PhilHealth Region 1 Office.
" Only in the Philippines!" he added.
The Senate adopted on Monday the Committee of the Whole's findings and recommendations over the allegation of rampant corruption and irregularities in the PhilHealth.
Among others, it recommended the filing of malversation, graft and other criminal cases against Duque over the "illegal" cash advances releases by the agency under its Interim Reimbursement Mechanism, which amounted to over P14 billion.
Aside from Duque, the Senate also pushed for criminal and administrative charges against ex-PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales and several other senior officials.
" DOH Sec is unmistakably irreplaceably the chair. Ano, wala kinalaman (He has nothing to do with it)? Aba…Congrats! Billions!!!" Senate President Vicente Sotto III also tweeted later.