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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Imee calls Duque PhilHealth godfather

Imee calls Duque PhilHealth godfather

Published Aug 15, 2020 05:37 pm

Another senator has urged Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to explain  the fresh claims of corruption and anomalies hounding the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

Sen. Imee Marcos joined her colleagues in calling for Duque to appear in the Senate  investigation of the alleged anomalies in the State health insurer as she raised that the Department of Health (DoH) Secretary could have given his approval on the transactions that are now being questioned over irregularities.

Senator Imee R. Marcos (Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)


Duque concurrently chairs the PhilHealth Board of Directors, which governs the use, disbursement, and management of the country's health insurance funds.

"Sa tingin ko hindi natin dapat isipin na hindi kasama ang DoH kaya tinatanong ko nga noong last hearing, asan ba ang DoH (I think we should not exclude the DoH, that was why I was asking during the last hearing, where was the DoH)?" Marcos said in an interview with radio DWIZ Saturday afternoon.

"Ang tanging ninong ng PhilHealth simulat sapol ay si Secretary Duque, noong unang panahon pa 'yan, siya na ay board member (The only godfather of the PhilHealth is Secretary Duque, he has long been a member of the Philhealth board). Tapos lahat ng nakaupo, sunod-sunod, tauhan niya (And all those who sat in the PhilHealth, one after another, were his men)," she added.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros had earlier questioned the absence of Duque in the congressional inquiries about the alleged corrupt practices in the PhilHealth.

Like Hontiveros, Marcos pointed out that Duque had been involved in PhilHealth since the administration of  President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

"Basta siya ang ninong, siya ang bossing diyan na totoo, kasi ang tagal-tagal na niyan eh (He was the god father, he was the real boss, because he has long been there)," Marcos said. "Wala namang nangyayari d'yan na kahit papaano may basbas sa taas (Nothing will happen there without his blessings)."

"Lumabas na siya, magsalita at ipaliwanag ang pangyayari sa PhilHealth at kawalan ng kanilang malaking-malaking reserve funds na di natin alam ilan pa ang natitira ngayon (So he should show up, speak up, and explain what is happening in the PhilHealth and the loss of their huge reserve funds)," she said.

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