Rama calls for probe into lost CCMC checks

CEBU, Philippines – Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama ordered an administrative investigation of personnel of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) involved in the release of 28 missing checks issued to the hospital.

The investigation shall determine who is liable for the loss.

“There really should be people who must be made responsible,” Rama said.

He created the team composed of City Attorney Joseph Bernaldez, City Administrator Jose Mari Poblete and two other lawyers from the City Legal Department to conduct the investigation.

It shall be done simultaneously with the criminal investigation being conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

“I wish that they (investigation team) can come up with something not limited to just making a resolution but if there is a need to place whoever under preventive suspension then that will have to be implemented,” Rama said.

He said he will not think twice to recommend the temporary suspension of the CCMC personnel, whose absence may be deemed necessary to solve the case.

Personnel to be investigated include Lourdes Archua, credit officer IV of CCMC’s Business and Finance Department and CCMC director Myrna Go.

Archua personally released the 28 checks worth P240,000 issued by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) to a certain Concha Ruth Adlawan, who claimed to be a Philhealth employee but was later found not connected with the corporation.

She released the checks last May 4 after two other persons claiming to be a certain Kristine and a Mary Ann Garcia called her to inform that Philhealth had a systems change so the checks must be collected back to be stamped with Philhealth seal.

Garcia, in a letter to Archua, claimed that they are sending Adlawan as their authorized representative to collect the checks.

Archua, in her explanation letter to Go, said that the checks were released in good faith and with nothing in her mind, but the best interest of CCMC since the hospital stands to lose P240,000.

Nine of the checks amounting to P114,839.25, have been cashed while the rest are now covered by a “Stop Payment” order filed by Philhealth before the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to prevent further losses.

Last June 7, Archua requested the Philhealth for the replacement of six checks amounting to P91,509.50, which Philhealth replaced last June 9 with two checks in the amounts of P13,360 and P78,149.50.

The remaining 22 checks will be replaced when the checks have become stale.

A check becomes stale when it is not negotiated within six months after the check date. The funds are then reverted back to the account of Philhealth.

Councilor Jose Daluz III, chairman of the council’s committee on budget and finance, said that he will ask the bank to explain why they allowed the checks to be cashed by a second person.

He said that it is unusual since the banks are usually strict when it comes to encashment by a second person especially that the authorization letter was only handwritten.

The handwritten authorization letter bears the signature of CCMC director Myrna Go, but she denied making the authorization.

Philhealth must also explain why the checks were issued in the name of Go and not to the local government unit, which in this case, should be the Cebu City Government.

Rama is now looking for the possible replacement of Go and City Health head Fe Cabugao.

He said that he wants an overhaul in the management of the CCMC to solve the various problems facing it.

But Rama clarified that he is replacing Go, not due to the lost checks. Even before Rama knew about the incident, he is already considering replacing Go as the director of CCMC. (THE FREEMAN)