(Eagle News) — The Office of the Ombudsman has imposed a preventive suspension on some former and incumbent PhilHealth officials.
Ordered suspended for six months without pay were Roy Ferrer, Celestina Ma. Jude dela Serna, Ruben John Basa, Dennis Mas, Shirley Domingo, Rodolfo del Rosario Jr., Raul Dominic Badilla, Israel Pargas, Angelito Grande, Lawrence Mijares, Leila Tuazon, Eugenio Donatos II and Clementine Bautista, based on two resolutions.
Ferrer, Dela Serna, Badilla, Paragas, Grande, Mijares, Donatos and Basa are former PhilHealth officials while the rest are still connected with PhilHealth.
It was unclear on what charges they have been suspended.
PhilHealth has said it has yet to receive the suspension order against some of its officials.
“As of this time, the concerned officers are not aware of the charges against them. We will issue a full statement as soon as we get hold of the said order,” PhilHealth said.
The Senate and the House of Representatives are probing allegations of corruption in the state insurer.
The Department of Justice and the Presidential Anti-Corrruption Commission, among others, are also conducting their own probes.
The allegations were made by Thorrsson Montes Keith, who resigned as PhilHealth’s antifraud officer in July.
Keith had alleged a PhilHealth “mafia” had pocketed P15 billion in PhilHealth funds.
The hearings are also centering on PhilHealth’s allegedly overpriced proposed P2.1-billion IT system, among others.
PhilHealth has denied the corruption allegations against 36 of its officials.