MANILA – Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) Region 6 vice president Atty. Valerie Anne Hollero has voluntarily taken a leave while the state-run agency is being investigated for alleged anomalies.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed that Hollero and five other regional vice presidents were taking a leave but he clarified they were not part of the PhilHealth “mafia” referred to by Sen. Panfilo Lacson.
Aside from Hollero, other PhilHealth regional vice presidents on official leave were Paolo Johann Perez (Region IV-B), Datu Masiding Alonto Jr. (Region X), Atty. Khaliquzzman Macabato (BARMM), Dennis Adre, and William Chavez.
“These six PhilHealth regional vice presidents…were in fact referred to as heroes by PhilHealth board member Alejandro Cabading during his Senate testimonies,” Roque said.
They chose to go on leave and heeded the call of Justice secretary Menardo Guevarra for those whose names were mentioned in the investigation to go on leave.
“We consider this as the right and proper thing to do,” said Roque.
In their letter dated Aug. 15, the six regional vice presidents informed PhilHealth executive vice president Arnel De Jesus of their decision to take official leaves effective Aug. 17 except for Adre and Chavez who have been on floating status since September last year.
“The ongoing Senate and House of Representatives investigations into graft and corruption at PhilHealth demands full cooperation from all its officers and staff. This is necessary to help determine and assign culpability in the most expeditious manner,” they said.
They added: “This (leave) will give investigators a free hand in finding out those responsible and finally bring them to account.”
The regional vice presidents also said they assigned an officer-in-charge in their respective areas so that daily office operations will not be disrupted.
The six regional vice presidents were earlier named by former PhilHealth chief Roy Ferrer as being part of the so-called “mafia” but former PhilHealth anti-fraud officer Thorrsson Montes Keith defended them saying they “have no capacity to steal.”
“Wala po silang hinahawakan na office dito sa central office to steal money, sa aking personal knowledge,” Keith said./PN
