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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Bautista seeks review of PhilHealth leadership structure

Bautista seeks review of PhilHealth leadership structure

Published May 1, 2022 03:35 pm

UniTeam senatorial candidate Herbert “Bistek” Bautista said he would seek a review of the leadership structure of the Philippine Health Insurance Co. (PhilHealth) to make it serve the people’s health demands more efficiently should he win in the senatorial elections in May 9, 2022.

Bautista, who is seeking a Senate seat in the upcoming May 2022 elections said he cannot understand why the state-run health insurance agency has to be run by a lawyer and a doctor.

“Let’s take a look at PhilHealth. It’s mind-boggling. I cannot understand why a lawyer and doctor have to manage PhilHealth,” said Bautista in a recent radio interview.

Bautista said it is clear PhilHealth should be headed by financial experts who are knowledgeable about insurance policies.

“PhilHealth’s funds are funds for health. But those are funds like a bank’s or insurance company’s. What we need there are financial engineers, bankers or those good in insurance,” explained Bautista, a former Quezon City mayor.

PhilHealth has recently been embroiled in corruption scandals involving ghost services that have been paid by the state health insurance company.

Its former head Ricardo Morales and other officials are now facing graft charges in relation to alleged mismanagement of billions of pesos in PhilHealth funds.

Morales is a former general in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“Let’s make PhilHealth work according to its mandate. That should be the focus,” Bautista said.

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PhilHealth Herbert Bautista May 2022 elections
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