Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 14) — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said he will attend the next Senate hearing on alleged corruption and irregularities at the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.
“We have to go. We have to respect the institution’s order for me to be present,” Duque told CNN Philippines in an interview on Thursday.
The Senate Committee of the Whole, where all senators are members, has held two hearings on the issues hounding the government-managed health insurance company.
Some senators expressed hope that Duque will join the third hearing scheduled for Tuesday, August 18, as they questioned the health chief’s “silence” on the PhilHealth mess.
Senator Panfilo Lacson earlier noted that Duque was the “big elephant” that was missing in the room during previous legislative inquiries.
Senator Risa Hontiveros said that she expects Duque to tell what he knows about the supposed irregularities within the agency. She has pointed out that the DOH chief’s experience and connection with PhilHealth date back to 2001.
Among the issues hounding the government-managed health insurance fund is its implementation of interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM) funds or cash advances given to hospitals to ensure liquidity amid the COVID-19 crisis. A resigned officer from the corporation claimed during one of the Senate hearings that senior officials pocketed funds from the IRM. PhilHealth refuted the accusation.
Senators also raised the possibility of favoritism on IRM releases, but PhilHealth officials denied the allegation, saying they followed existing rules and regulations on the provision of cash advances.
CNN Philippines Correspondent David Santos contributed to this report
