Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2) — A joint committee of the House of Representatives is proposing to grant President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to reform the Philippine Health Insurance Corp (PhilHealth) of numerous irregularities.
House Committee on Public Accounts chair Mike Defensor of Anakalusugan Partylist said his panel is “inclined” to give Duterte emergency powers, following controversies hounding the state health insurer.
“The committee is inclined and we are already discussing the emergency powers to be granted to the President,” Defensor said Wednesday, during its joint hearing with the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, who was virtually present in the hearing, agreed to this proposal.
“Opo, maganda ang inyong panukala na bigyan ng karagdagang kapangyarihan si Pangulong Duterte para mas mabilis ang reporma na isailalim ang PhilHealth,” he said.
[Translation: Yes, the proposal seeking additional powers for President Duterte is good in order to fast track reforms in Philhealth.]
Justice Undersecretary Adrian Sugay, who was also at the hearing, supported the initiative.
No other details of the proposal were provided as of this writing.
Duterte recently appointed former National Bureau of Investigation director Dante Gierran to replace PhilHealth president and CEO Ricardo Morales, who stepped down from his post due to medical reasons.
In his taped speech on Monday, Duterte ordered Gierran to immediately implement a reshuffle in the agency and “find people he can send to prison” to make them accountable for the anomalies. He also urged him to remove regional vice presidents involved with fraudulent schemes from their posts.
