(Eagle News) — The Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission has recommended the firing or the filing of charges against 36 PhilHealth officials.
PACC commissioner Greco Belgica said in an interview this was the content of the PACC’s initial report to the Office of the President on corruption allegations against the state insurer.
Belgica did not, however, name the officials.
According to Belgica, the “bulk of the problem” was PhilHealth, which he said does not validate the claims made by some hospitals that can resort to “upcasing” to get more money from the state insurer.
Instead of reporting a patient for colds, for instance, they can say the person has pneumonia instead.
“Ito namang PhilHealth parang ATM na bayad lang nang bayad. Para tayong siningil sa restaurant pero hindi natin tinignan yung (bill),” Belgica said.
Earlier, Thorrsson Montes Keith cited “widespread corruption” in PhilHealth as one of the reasons he submitted his resignation in July.
He accused PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales of asking him to iron out with the PACC the issue on the alleged overprice of COVID-19 test kits.
Belgica said he could not remember meeting with Keith, adding the PACC was always wont to do the right thing.
The Senate is conducting a parallel inquiry into the allegations against PhilHealth, which Morales has already denied.
He described Keith as a disgruntled employee who was rejected for a promotion.
The Palace has said President Rodrigo Duterte will not fire Morales without any evidence of corruption.