MANILA – Dr. Roy B. Ferrer, PhilHealth Acting President and Chief Executive Officer, stands tall amid accusations of graft, abuse of authority, and dishonesty.
The allegations were reportedly filed as a lawsuit which the head of the state social health insurer has yet to receive. The complainants are some 12 PhilHealth employees all of PhilHealth Regional Office (PRO) Davao, except for one who is assigned in PRO CARAGA.
“These charges are fueled by misguided retribution because of organizational structure reforms aimed at improving the overall performance of the Corporation. The reforms that I have employed did not garner the approval of some employees because they resist change,” said the chief. “We will prove, time and again, that our mandate is bigger than the whims of people whose vision is blinded by misplaced ambition and greed.”
The complainants linked the alleged P4.7-B loss in 2017 to his performance as CEO despite being appointed only last June. “We have just finished reconciling claims paid in 2018 but incurred in 2017 and the numbers showed gains of as much as P500-M, instead of losses. These figures were submitted to the Commission on Audit (CoA) and Bureau of Treasury for validation. Once the figures are validated,” Ferrer said.
It was further alleged that Dr. Ferrer continued to claim for professional fees after his appointment as PhilHealth chief. The claims figures showed that the last claim for services rendered was for a patient admission on June 3, 2018; two days prior his assumption.
He revealed that he continues to receive compensation for his services rendered as far back as September 2016. “Truthfully, I received payment last September for an admission that happened two years ago. I find the timing suspicious since the Regional Vice President for Region XI [Davao] is very vocal about his opposition of the recent organizational movements and was suspended for a number of administrative cases because of serious grave offenses,” admitted Ferrer.
“I welcome inquiries into these allegations and offer my full cooperation all in view of dismissing these claims. Bring it on. I have nothing to hide.” Ferrer reflected on the purported charges against him and warned those undermining his leadership, “Know this, I will not let anyone or anything come between the Filipinos and Universal Health Care (UHC), not the people behind these assertions or the negative publicity they bring. I shall continue to commandeer PhilHealth’s ship towards the shores of UHC; a journey that once seemed endless but now is nearing its completion. I appreciate the trust and support of everyone believing in my leadership and my capability to effect positive changes in the Corporation.”/PN
