Filing of criminal and administrative charges against Health Secretary and PhilHealth board chair Francisco Duque, ex-PhilHealth President Ricardo Morales and other officials over irregularities in the agency is being recommended by the Senate Committee of the Whole, Senate President Tito Sotto said Tuesday.
The report includes, among other things, the alleged irregularities in the implementation of the controversial internal reimbursement mechanism,
For this, the senate panel recommended charges of malversation, illegal use of public funds and graft against Duque, Morales, Executive Vice President Arnel de Jesus, SVP for Fund Management Sector Renato Limsiaco and SVP Health Finance Policy Sector Israel Pargas as well as other employees involved.
The committee also proposed to charge Duque, Morales, De Jesus, Limsiaco, Pargas and involved employees for violation of the Internal Revenue Code due to PhilHealth’s failure to withhold taxes related to the IRM.
The said senate report also touched on charges of falsification, fraud, concealment of documents, graft, and violation of the government procurement act against the corporation’s IT department officials.
The committee also called for the resignation PhilHealth officials from the CEO to the regional vice presidents to give way to a revamp of the agency’s management. The panel recommended reassignment of officials every three years.
The Commission on Audit should also be more involved in PhilHealth’s affairs, according to the panel.
