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THE Supreme Court, in a decision dated January 28, 2021, affirmed the notices of disallowance by the Commission on Audit (COA) on some P204.7 million granted by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) to its officials and its employees in various kinds of benefits in 2007 and 2008 – 13 to 14 years ago.
The court, in the unanimous decision written by Justice Jean Paul B. Inting, said the Philhealth officials who approved the grant of money benefits are liable to return P16.2 million. It also ordered the recipients of the other amounts to refund them “since it was erroneously given to and received by them.”
The amounts disallowed by the COA included birthday gifts totalling P5.97 million; special benefit allowance, P8.7 million; nominal gift, P29.5 million; educational assistance, P49.28 million; project completion benefit, P4.98 million; payment of liability insurance premium for the board of directors and officers, P638,000; corporate transition and achievement premium, P81.05 million; and medical mission critical allowance, P7.91 million.
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