Derogatory implication

I feel constrained to clarify the letter of Atty. Genesis M. Adarlo, which came out in you paper’s Opinion Page on Jan. 23, 2012, in fairness to the people he has wittingly or unwittingly maligned by his subtle innuendo.

First off, it was unfair and unkind for Mr. Adarlo to cast aspersion, if obliquely, on former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and on me as former president of PhilHealth by stating that the supposed anomalies uncovered happened during our time.

If that were a measure of a regime’s corruption or anti-corruption characterization, what does that say of that fact that the supposed anomalies were still perpetrated way beyond our terms? The logic is also unfair and unkind to President Benigno C. Aquino III and his “daang matuwid”.

For the record, I hadn’t known of the theft and illegal encashment of the alleged check payments of Accenture, Inc. to PhilHealth during my watch. During my time, we put in place as many safeguards as possibly precisely to protect PhilHealth from illegal activities.

In fact, before I was unceremoniously replaced in October last year — for no valid reason — I had already spearheaded the creation of an anti-fraud unit and other measures to strengthen PhilHealth’s capability to police its ranks and protect the institution from nefarious individuals.

Regrettably, I was deprived the opportunity to see those projects through following my sudden replacement.

I wish Mr. Adarlo would have been more circumspect in making public statements that by implication unnecessarily and unfairly put innocent people life myself in bad light.