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Guevarra admits task force no longer had time to look into Senate report on PhilHealth anomalies
Philippines
National
Guevarra admits task force no longer had time to look into Senate report on PhilHealth anomalies
Guevarra admits task force no longer had time to look into Senate report on PhilHealth anomalies
Published Sep 9, 2020 06:54 pm
The task force investigating anomalies at the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) no longer had the time to look into the report made by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, admitted Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra (TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO /MANILA BULLETIN)
“Medyo mahihirapan kami at this time. Wala na kami oras (It would be difficult to do it at this time. We don’t have enough time),” said Guevarra during an interview over CNN Philippines.
“When we got a copy of his report we were already winding up our own investigation,” explained Guevarra who is the convenor of Task Force PhilHealth which is conducting the investigation into the anomalies.
Guevarra, who formed the task force last Aug. 7, pursuant to the directive of President Duterte, has already publicly announced that the task force will submit its report on the investigation it conducted this Sept. 14.
Duterte had given the task force 30 days starting from its creation to submit the report.
“We were given 30 days to make a report and recommendation. So to include another report by the blue ribbon committee as part of our own investigation would seemingly be impossible,” Guevarra pointed out.
On the other hand, Guevarra assured that the task force made use of the report on the investigation conducted by the Senate Committee of the Whole on the corrupt activities at the PhilHealth.
“It was quite useful, if I may say, in guiding the work of the task force,” the secretary said.
“But as much as possible we did not duplicate. We did not call again mga natawag nila (We did not call the witnesses they summoned). We just relied on the transcripts that they provided us. To that extent, we made use the Senate report to supplement what we are doing sa task force,” he explained.
On the other hand, Guevarra observed that the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Report looked at other incidents of corruption and used different sets of people.
Even though the work of the task force is about to end, the secretary assured that the composite teams formed by the task force will continue to investigate and file charges.
“Mga (The) composite teams we have created will continue to dig deeper and get the appropriate evidence to back up the complaints for filing either with the DOJ or the Office of the President,” he said.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee report included recommendations for the filing of charges against Iloilo 1st District Rep. and former health secretary Janette Garin along with former budget secretary Florencio Abad and former PhilHealth chief Alexander Padilla, among others, over the questionable multi-billion peso barangay health center program which he said was linked to the 2016 presidential elections.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra (TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO /MANILA BULLETIN)
“Medyo mahihirapan kami at this time. Wala na kami oras (It would be difficult to do it at this time. We don’t have enough time),” said Guevarra during an interview over CNN Philippines.
“When we got a copy of his report we were already winding up our own investigation,” explained Guevarra who is the convenor of Task Force PhilHealth which is conducting the investigation into the anomalies.
Guevarra, who formed the task force last Aug. 7, pursuant to the directive of President Duterte, has already publicly announced that the task force will submit its report on the investigation it conducted this Sept. 14.
Duterte had given the task force 30 days starting from its creation to submit the report.
“We were given 30 days to make a report and recommendation. So to include another report by the blue ribbon committee as part of our own investigation would seemingly be impossible,” Guevarra pointed out.
On the other hand, Guevarra assured that the task force made use of the report on the investigation conducted by the Senate Committee of the Whole on the corrupt activities at the PhilHealth.
“It was quite useful, if I may say, in guiding the work of the task force,” the secretary said.
“But as much as possible we did not duplicate. We did not call again mga natawag nila (We did not call the witnesses they summoned). We just relied on the transcripts that they provided us. To that extent, we made use the Senate report to supplement what we are doing sa task force,” he explained.
On the other hand, Guevarra observed that the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Report looked at other incidents of corruption and used different sets of people.
Even though the work of the task force is about to end, the secretary assured that the composite teams formed by the task force will continue to investigate and file charges.
“Mga (The) composite teams we have created will continue to dig deeper and get the appropriate evidence to back up the complaints for filing either with the DOJ or the Office of the President,” he said.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee report included recommendations for the filing of charges against Iloilo 1st District Rep. and former health secretary Janette Garin along with former budget secretary Florencio Abad and former PhilHealth chief Alexander Padilla, among others, over the questionable multi-billion peso barangay health center program which he said was linked to the 2016 presidential elections.