Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Thursday, Sept. 17, expressed confidence that the task force has sufficient evidence to secure indictments against former Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) president and chief executive officer Ricardo Morales and seven other executives of the state health insurance firm.
(Screenshot / RTVM / PCOO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
“For those na na-identified na namin, I think we have sufficient evidence para ma-consider ito ng Ombudsman for the possible finding of probable cause (For those whom we have already identified, I think we have sufficient evidence for the Ombudsman to find probable cause),” he said during an online Malacanang press briefing.
“But we will not preempt the Ombudsman,” he added.
The DOJ-led Task Force PhilHealth, which is conducting an investigation into the anomalies at the state health insurer, had already submitted last Monday, Sept. 14, its report to President Duterte of its initial findings of the probe it conducted.
In its report, Task Force PhilHealth recommended the filing of criminal complaints against Morales; Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Arnel De Jesus; Senior Vice President Jovita Aragona, Chief Information Officer and head of the Information Management Sector; Senior Vice President Renato Limsiaco Jr; Senior Vice President Israel Francis Pargas of the Health Financial Policy Sector; Officer in Charge Calixto Gabuya Jr.; and Division Chief Bobby Crisostomo.
Guevarra said the initial complaints that will be filed concerns the implementation of the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM) and the procurement of information and communications technology (ICT) equipment.
“We hope to be able to do so within the next 30 days kasi (because) we have to gather the necessary supporting documentary evidence. We know where they are but physically we have to obtain them para mai-attach sa (so that we can attach these to the) complaints,” he explained.
The secretary said that the task force is also currently looking deeper into the PhilHealth legal sector which was not included in the report to the President.
“Yung sa legal sector maybe in another two months (Complaints could be filed concerning the legal sector in the next two months),” he hoped.
Though Health Secretary Francisco Duque III is not included in the task force report, Guevarra reiterated that Duque is not yet off the hook.
“Kung meron kaming makitang evidence (If we find evidence) against him we’ll include him and probably the rest of the board if needed,” said Guevarra who assured that, despite Duterte’s continued affirmation of trust in Duque, the President did not, in any way, exert any influence in the investigation or in the report on its findings.
Guevarra stressed that “we will only go by the evidence presented before us.”
During the investigation conducted by the task force, the secretary believes that hundreds of billions of pesos have been lost over the years due to the “culture of tolerance” at PhilHealth.
“I believe we are talking of hundreds of billions of pesos here over the years. Yung corruption in PhilHealth ang tingin ko diyan ay na-engender because of a culture of tolerance. Hindi sila naghihigpit among themselves for some reason or another kaya over the years parang na-tolerate yung ganyang mga practices (Corruption was brought about by the culture of tolerance. They are not strict among themselves for some some reason or another that tolerated such practices),” he said.
“The various complaints and legal action that should be taken against wrongdoers have not been filed, have not been acted upon really actively,” he lamented