Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Tuesday said continuing investigations will uncover more persons who are liable for corrupt activities at the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
Guevarra gave the assurance in response to the dismay expressed by some senators that the DOJ-led Task Force PhilHealth did not recommend the filing of criminal complaints against Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and other PhilHealth officials.
“Our report is about our initial findings only,” he said.
“Further investigations will be conducted and more people may be charged,” he added.
Task Force PhilHealth has already submitted on Monday its 177-page report to President Duterte concerning the investigation it conducted over anomalies at the state health insurer.
“Technically, the task force itself has become functus officio, but the member agencies have agreed to continue investigating in a coordinated manner, focusing on specific targets,” Guevarra assured.
Guevarra had earlier said that even after the task force report has been submitted the composite teams it formed will continue to conduct investigations and case build-ups concerning corrupt activities at PhilHealth.
“The composite teams are composed of representatives from the DOJ, the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation), the PACC (Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission), and the AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council), in coordination with special audit teams of the COA (Commission on Audit),” the secretary said.
“For now, we have existing composite teams to further investigate the legal and IT sectors of PhilHealth,” he noted.
In its report, the task force recommended the filing of criminal complaints against former PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Ricardo Morales; Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Amel De Jesus; Senior Vice Presidents Jovita Aragona, Renato Limsiaco Jr., and Israel Francis Pargas; Officer in Charge Calixto Gabuya; and Division Chief Bobby Crisostomo.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Tuesday expressed dismay that the report did not recommend the filing of charges against Duque, who chairs PhilHealth’s board, and PhilHealth Senior Vice President for the Legal Sector Rodolfo Del Rosario Jr.
The Senate Committee of the Whole, which Sotto chairs, has already released a report on the investigation it conducted over anomalies at PhilHealth and has recommended the filing of criminal cases against Duque, Morales, and other PhilHealth officials.