‘Duque still has Duterte’s trust’

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang remains unmoved by accusations that Health Secretary Francisco Duque III is the “godfather” of an alleged “mafia” in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), which is the subject of congressional inquiries.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. assured the public that even with President Duterte’s trust in Duque intact, the Chief Executive is looking into the alleged anomalies in the state-run insurer – the reason he ordered the Department of Health (DOH) to lead the investigation into the alleged misappropriation of PhilHealth funds.

“He does, because if he has ceased to have trust and confidence, then Secretary Duque would no longer be in office… because all Cabinet members serve at the pleasure of the President,” Roque said yesterday over CNN Philippines when asked if Duque still enjoys the trust and confidence of Duterte.

In any case, the President himself has created a task force to address the issues, and he is waiting for its report parallel to the ongoing investigation at the Senate, according to Roque.

“He gave them only a period of one month to render their findings and to exercise powers that even the Senate could not, including the power to impose preventive suspension and to conduct lifestyle check in addition to filing cases in court,” the Palace spokesman said.

Duque, like everyone else, should be accorded due process.

“I think everyone is accorded the right to due process and that’s why (the President) created the task force,” Roque said.

He also reminded critics that Duque has been cleared by the ombudsman over the same issues brought to the Senate last Tuesday.

“I remember that the issue about the PhilHealth cards, although it was in fact used in an impeachment complaint against then president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the complaint formally filed with the ombudsman, was dismissed by Ombudsman Conchita Morales,” Roque said.

For the past six months since the lockdown in March, Duterte has defended Duque from allegations ranging from incompetence, overpricing of personal protective equipment and fund misuse in PhilHealth.

On issues that Duque is saddled with responsibilities as DOH secretary, chairperson of the Inter-Agency Task Force, chairman of PhilHealth and other roles, Roque expressed belief that Duque is able to handle the current situation despite the challenges of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic vis-à-vis calls for his resignation.

“Well, in a time of pandemic, you could imagine that the Secretary of Health will be the busiest person in the country. I think his designation in PhilHealth is because he is ex-officio as Secretary of Health and his designation as IATF chair is also because he is Secretary of Health,” Roque said.

“In other words, although there are many hats, it is still in connection with the fact that he remains to be the Secretary of Health,” he added.

Pressed if Duque needs to have soul-searching due to the many problems over the government’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis and issues of corruption, the Palace spokesman said it is up to the DOH secretary to address the calls of his critics.

“I leave that to Secretary Duque because I have no authority to speak for him. I’m only speaking on behalf of the President and I think what’s important is… for as long as Secretary Duque remains, then he enjoys the trust and confidence of the President,” Roque said.

Preventive suspension welcomed

Rank-and-file employees of PhilHealth yesterday welcomed the preventive suspension imposed by the Office of the Ombudsman on 13 officials of the state-run insurer.

PhilHealth - Workers for Hope, Integrity, Transparency and Empowerment (Philhealth-WHITE) president Fe Francisco said they were surprised to know about the suspension, but it is “welcome” when asked during a press briefing.

“We are also surprised with that news of preventive suspension. I think it is just proper, right that they are preventively suspended so they cannot influence the pending case, which is filed against them,” Francisco said.

The group has urged Duterte to appoint a “caretaker government” that will oversee the operation of PhilHealth.

Francisco also decried the “sweeping statements” against PhilHealth amid the investigations being conducted by Congress.

She said statements lumping together PhilHealth officials and employees as corrupt and incompetent are “hurting” the rank and file.

“We are hurt, the majority of honest and hardworking rank-and-file employees, because of these sweeping statements. The accusations/allegations are being hurled at the entire corporation and the people are getting demoralized,” she added.

Francisco said they also wanted the investigation to be over and the guilty to be punished for the sake of those not involved in fraud at the agency.

“We hear sweeping pronouncements, labeling all PhilHealth employees to be corrupt and incompetent. The rank-and-file deem it not only unfair, but likewise irresponsible, especially if such statements come from members of the esteemed Senate, House of Representatives or anti-crime investigative bodies,” she added.

Senate terminating probe

Meanwhile, Senate President Vicente Sotto III yesterday said the chamber is terminating its inquiry into alleged corruption in PhilHealth and will soon come out with a report to include recommended legal action against erring officials and proposed amendments to the law creating the state firm.

Sotto said PhilHealth officials led by Morales and other members of the agency’s executive committee should now focus on defending themselves before the Department of Justice and the ombudsman.

“We are done with the carousel of denials and lies,” Sotto told reporters. “I’m formulating the committee report soon.”

The inquiry was conducted by the specially convened Senate committee of the whole where all senators are members.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a proponent of the probe, said the evidence supported by official documents and testimonies provided by resource persons who testified under oath so far gathered by the committee during the three weekly hearings “are enough to indict people responsible directly or otherwise.”

“Without tough punitive action against those involved in such shenanigans, we may never see the end of the vicious cycle of corruption that has plagued PhilHealth,” Lacson said, referring, among others, to the controversial Interim Reimbursement Mechanism and the alleged overprice of the purchase of information technology equipment.

In further developments, the Senate yesterday adopted Resolution 502 urging Malacañang to impose preventive suspensions against Morales, PhilHealth vice presidents, and members of the execom involved in the alleged “corruption and fraudulent schemes in the agency” as well as those hampering the investigation of the executive branch.

“Allowing these PhilHealth officials to remain in office may give them time to tamper with, conceal or destroy important records, and further hamper the investigations of the (National Bureau of Investigation), (Commission on Audit), the ombudsman and other investigative bodies conducting investigations on PhilHealth,” the resolution filed by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri read. –  Sheila Crisostomo, Paolo Romero, Delon Porcalla, Eva Visperas