BY ARGYLL GEDUCOS
President Duterte has ordered Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra to form a task force to investigate the alleged widespread corruption in PhilHealth, Malacañang confirmed Friday.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the announcement after resigned PhilHealth anti-fraud officer Thorsson Montes Keith alleged that high-ranking PhilHealth officials were able to “steal” P15 billion in fraudulent schemes.
In his Friday briefing, Roque said President Duterte issued a memorandum ordering Guevarra to form a task force to investigate the anomalies in PhilHealth.
The Task Force will be composed of the Office of the Ombudsman, the Commission on Audit (COA), the Civil Service Commission (CSC), the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES), the Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP), and other agencies like the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC).
Based on Duterte’s memorandum, the Department of Justice (DoJ) was given the said task as it is the principal law agency of the government.
“The DoJ is hereby directed to organize a panel for the conduct of an investigation on the various allegations of corruption and anomalies in the PhilHealth,” the memorandum read.
The task force can also conduct an audit of the PhilHealth finances and conduct lifestyle checks on its officials and employees.
The panel may also recommend to the President the imposition of preventive suspension on any PhilHealth official to ensure the unhampered conduct of the investigation.
Guevarra is required to submit to the Office of the President the task force’s findings and recommendations within 30 days of the panel’s constitution. This includes proposed legal actions against officials and employees found responsible for acts of corruption or anomalies in PhilHealth.
According to Roque, the formation of the task force would change the course of the investigation on the alleged corruption in PhilHealth.
“Dati-rati po paulit-uli na nag-iimbestiga ang Kamara at Senado, wala pong nangyayari kasi wala pong kapangyarihan ng preventive suspension. Ngayon po, ang imbestigasyon na ito, kasama na po ang preventive suspension,” he said.
According to Roque, President Duterte is already exasperated with the situation that why he formed the task force and allowed them to impose preventive suspensions on any PhilHealth official.
Roque had said that President Duterte still has trust and confidence in embattled PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales but he was waiting for evidence that would prove or disprove his involvement in the alleged corruption activities in the agency. (Argyll Geducos)
