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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Lacson: Senate has witnesses on PhilHealth corruption

Lacson: Senate has witnesses on PhilHealth corruption

Published Jul 31, 2020 03:47 pm

Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Friday that Senate has witnesses who are willing to testify and detail the pervasive and deep-rooted corruption in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

Senator Panfilo M. Lacson (SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)

’It is revolting to see the PhilHealth mafia very much active and still in control of the already depleted resources of agency, made worse by blatant manipulation of its financial statements. They must have mastered the art of influence peddling as they seem to continue to gain access to the 'corridors of power,'’’ he added.

The public hearing on the PhilHealth scandal by the Senate, acting as Committee of the Whole, starts 9 a.m. Tuesday.

‘’At the outset, I can say that this new Senate investigation will reveal the same cast of characters, or at least a number of them, that we already exposed in a Senate inquiry in August last year after my 'PhilHealth and the Department of Wealth' privilege speech on July 29, 2019,’’ Lacson said.

‘’I would say, the syndicate is back with a vengeance -- or at least its core group has never left,’’ he added.

The alleged widespread corruption at PhilHealth was caused by its questionable reimbursements totaling P400 million for expenses for COVID-19 patients in unaccredited hospitals where one only had one patient in the Bicol region and Eastern Visayas.

The scandal was revealed by PhilHealth’s anti-fraud officer, Thorrsson Montes Keith, after filed this letter of resignation.

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