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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Guevarra: task force made no recommendation to abolish PhilHealth

Guevarra: task force made no recommendation to abolish PhilHealth

Published Sep 30, 2020 12:39 pm

The task force which investigated anomalies at the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) made no recommendations to abolish the health state insurer, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra revealed on Wednesday (Sept. 30).

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra (TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO /MANILA BULLETIN)

Guevarra said the report submitted by Task Force PhilHealth to President Duterte last Sept. 14 does not include recommendations for the abolition of the state insurer but for the Governance Commission for Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GCG) to step in.

“In our report to the President, we recommended that the GCG be directed to study the possible reorganization of PhilHealth (not its abolition) and the creation of an interim management committee in the meantime,” said Guevarra who heads Task Force PhiliHealth which investigated anomalies at the corporation.

On the other hand, the secretary believes that the President still remains undecided on what to do with PhilHealth.

“It is not really very clear whether he wants to reorganize, abolish, or privatize PhilHealth. Note that the last two options need congressional action,” the secretary said.

Last Monday, Sept. 28, Duterte said he is against having PhilHealth privatized and would prefer proposing to Congress the abolition of PhilHealth and be replaced with a new agency.

The President said he also intends to implement a revamp at PhilHealth.

Guevarra created the task force on Aug. 7 pursuant to the directive of the President to investigate PhilHealth over alleged corrupt activities.

Task Force PhilHealth is composed of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP), the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), the National Prosecution Service (NPS), the DOJ Office of Cybercrime (OOC), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

The Office of the Ombudsman (OMB), the Commission on Audit (COA), and the Civil Service Commission (CSC) were also invited to attend the meetings of the task force in pursuit of their respective independent investigations.

In its report to Duterte, Task Force PhilHealth recommended the filing of criminal complaints for violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against against Morales; Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Amel De Jesus; Senior Vice President Jovita Aragona, Chief Information Officer and head of the Information Management Sector; Senior Vice President Renato Limsiaco Jr; Senior Vice President Israel Francis Pargas of the Health Financial Policy Sector; Officer in Charge Calixto Gabuya Jr.; and Division Chief Bobby Crisostomo.

The task force also recommended that Morales be also be filed with criminal complaints for violating provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code Code as well as for malversation of public funds or property and illegal use of public funds or property in violation of the Revised Penal Code (RPC).

Aside from Morales, the task force said Limsiaco should also be held liable for malversation of public funds or property under the RPC.

The task force said criminal complaints should also be filed against Aragona and Gabuya for frauds against the public treasury and similar offenses under the RPC.

It also recommended that administrative charges for, among others, dishonesty, gross neglect of duty, grave misconduct, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, be filed against all eight persons.

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