Daily Tribune
The leader of a consumer welfare advocacy group has sought the replacement of officials of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), claiming many of them have been bought off either with “cash or a bullet.”
The consumer advocate, who has been monitoring PhilHealth for 12 years, said empowered government superiors were simply recycling corrupt individuals in high positions in the state-owned insurer.
“I was there and I know how the mafia works,” he stressed.
“To prevent officials from leaking corruption activities and information, they have to choose between receiving cash or a bullet,” he said.
He echoed the call of Supreme Court Associate Justice Alfredo Kho for the PhilHealth board members to resign.
This after the Department of Finance (DoF) said the insurer accumulated P89.9 billion in unused funds and had remitted P60 billion to the national government to fund other health and infrastructure projects.
In deciding on its legality, the Supreme Court suspended the fund transfer as the justices opened the trial of PhilHealth and DoF officials last month.
“Associate Justice Kho was enraged. He asked all members of the PhilHealth board to resign,” the consumer welfare advocate said.
Amid the criticism of the transfer of the idle funds and the preparations for the court trial, former PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Ledesma resigned.
