Efforts to cleanse the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) would continue until all funds are accounted for, Senator Christopher ‘’Bong’’ Go said Saturday.
Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, stated this as he welcomed the recent announcement of PhilHealth chief Dante Gierran that 92 percent of the P15 billion fund allegedly misappropriated by agency officials had been liquidated.
Go noted that the government’s anti-corruption efforts in the agency would continue until all funds are accounted for in order to ensure efficient and transparent delivery of public health services and boost public confidence in the public health system.
“The liquidation of 90 percent of the funds in question is a welcome development. The fight against corruption is not over. Liquidation should be 100 percent because that is the people’s money, Go stressed.
Go strongly reaffirmed his and President Duterte’s shared campaign against corruption.
He vowed that any public official who is found guilty of corruption would be fully held accountable for his or her actions.
“Not a single peso should be wasted. President Duterte and will continue our campaign against corruption. That is why he organized a task force that would investigate corruption in government,” Go added.
The task force is mandated to investigate all issues of corruption in agencies, prosecute and file charges, conduct lifestyle checks, audit funds, recommend suspensions and put in jail those found guilty of corrupt practices.
“We will not single out anyone. Those liable should be held accountable. We will continue with the campaign until the end of the Duterte presidency. The campaign continues when there is a whiff of corruption,” he said.
Go, a former Special Assistant to the President, reiterated his call for government authorities to ensure that public funds are accounted for and used to benefit those who need government attention the most.
He said building public trust and confidence is crucial especially while efforts are ongoing to secure sufficient, safe and effective coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines for the country.
“The President allocated P384 million for the Department of Science and Technology {DOST} for clinical trials. It is important to determine that the vaccine is safe and effective,” he explained.
“The tests should be accurate to get the confidence of the people. The people will agree to be vaccinated but you have to be the first. As government officials, we should show that the vaccines are safe,” he added.
To complement these efforts, the senator from Davao also encouraged concerned agencies to properly communicate and implement the vaccine program to assure the public that the government is doing its best to restore normalcy amid the ongoing pandemic.
“When we have attained the safety level, we should start with the frontliners and the poor, particularly those in far-flung areas. We should educate them on the vaccines so that we could go back to our normal lives. The vaccine is our hope,” he said.