MANILA – Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) President and CEO Ricardo Morales has relayed his intentions to take a medical leave days after revealing that he has been undergoing treatment for a health condition.
Morales, who is undergoing chemotherapy for lymphoma or cancer of the lymph nodes, said in a television interview yesterday that he already requested the leave, which is now up for approval.
“I have already relayed to my bosses my intentions, and it’s up to them to decide. My fate is in their hands. Medical leave. But they still haven’t decided, so I’m still awaiting,” Morales said in an interview with CNN Philippines’ The Source.
Last week, Morales sent a medical certificate to the Senate Committee of the Whole informing it if he could join the next hearing on the agency’s issues virtually, as he revealed he had been undergoing treatment since February.
A resigned officer and a concurrent official of PhilHealth has made serious corruption allegations against top executives of the agency during the first day of Senate inquiry last week.
Among the allegations revealed was that senior executives of the state-run agency have stolen some P15 billion from the agency using different fraudulent schemes. PhilHealth refuted the accusation.
Morales said that he remains confident that his name will be cleared in the investigation by the newly formed multi-agency task force on the alleged irregularities in the agency.
“I welcome it. I have nothing to hide,” he said. “Baka mapahiya pa nga ako, makita nila ang bahay ko. I’m interested kung anong lalabas. Whether my name is there or not, let the chips fall where they may.”/PN
