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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Duterte to await Task Force probe result on PhilHealth – Palace

Duterte to await Task Force probe result on PhilHealth – Palace

Published Sep 2, 2020 10:51 am

Malacañang said that while it respects the investigation of the Senate on the corruption activities at PhilHealth, President Duterte will still wait for the result of the probe being conducted by his own Task Force before taking specific action.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque
(OPS / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)

The Senate had earlier recommended the filing of malversation and other criminal charges against Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, resigned PhilHealth president Ricardo Morales, and other senior officials over the alleged irregularities in the agency.

In an interview with CNN Philippines, presidential spokesman Harry Roque Roque said Malacañang respects the recommendation of the Senate and welcomed its move to conduct the investigation in aid of legislation.

However, the Palace official said President Duterte would defer to the recommendation of the task force he created to look into the corruption within the state insurer.

"Let's just say that we respect that recommendation of the Senate as an independent body but the President has created a task force that will determine the culpability of individuals. The President will have to await the formal findings of his task force," Roque told "The Source" on Wednesday.

The Task Force is led by the Department of Justice (DOJ). Roque said the Senate's findings will likely be considered.

"We have the Ombudsman, we have the Civil Service Commission. Of course, we have the Department of Justice. So you will expect the evaluation of evidence and the appreciation of evidence, should I say, will be far more in-depth than the Senate investigation," he said.

"I'm almost sure that the Senate has transmitted all the evidence it has gathered in the course of its investigation. Whether or not the Task Force will agree with the conclusion, I leave it to the Task Force," he added.

"They have only up to September 14 to finish their investigation and I think within the month of September, the President would like to see their findings," he added.

When asked if the recommendation of the Senate will affect how President Duterte perceives Duque, Roque reiterated that they have to see the recommendations of the task force first.

"Let's await the recommendations of the Task Force. If the Task Force has a similar recommendation as the Senate, so be it. But for now, the President will defer to the findings of the Task Force," he said.

"It's not just because he created the Task Force. It's because the individuals and the institutions behind the Task Force are those tasked with the Constitution and the law to put public officers accountable for their acts," he added.

Roque said last month that the Task Force will be composed of the Office of the Ombudsman, the Commission on Audit (COA), the Civil Service Commission (CSC), the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES), the Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP), and other agencies like the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC).

In his public address on Monday, President Duterte said Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra is wrapping up his investigation on the supposed corrupt practices at PhilHealth.

"I think he has seen proof enough to come up with an indictment," he said.

"I hope this sad episode in our national life, in our journey towards nation-building will be somehow corrected," he added.

President Duterte had earlier announced the appointment of former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Dante Gierran as new PhilHealth president.

In his speech, Duterte reminded Gierran, who was present during the meeting in Malacañang, that the remaining two years of his administration will be devoted to the fight against corruption. He told the new PhilHealth president to look for people they can send to jail.

The President told Gierran to revamp the agency and reshuffling the regional vice presidents within two to three days. If they refuse, Duterte said he would place them in Malacañang instead.

"I will send them a memorandum. I will ask them to report to me dito sa (here in) Malacañang," he said.

"I will ask them to do research on how not to serve a government properly. That should be the thesis--how not to serve the government properly. You study on that," he added.

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