MANILA – The Senate is looking at filing complaints against other Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) officials, according to Sen. Panfilo Lacson.
According to Lacson, the Senate can initiate the move as not all PhilHealth officials were charged in the graft and malversation complaints filed by the National Bureau of Investigation over the alleged anomalies within the state insurer’s Interim Reimbursement Mechanism.
“We are keeping our options open. Puwede kaming mag-initiate mismo ng pagfa-file ng kaso against sa mga tao na hindi naisama ng task force,” Lacson said in an interview with DZBB.
“Kasi wala namang magpe-prevent sa amin kung dudulog kami sa Ombudsman bilang isang body, bilang Senado, o bilang Kongreso kung sasama pa rin ‘yung House of Representatives, kasi sila mismo nagsagawa rin ng malawakang imbestigasyon,” he added.
Among those facing complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman are former PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales, executive vice president and chief operating officer Arnel De Jesus and senior vice presidents Renato Limsiaco Jr. and Israel Francis Pargas.
“Kung ang aming pananaw based sa aming imbestigasyon ay mas may dapat pang makasuhan, iba naman ‘yung pananaw ng DOJ (Department of Justice) dahil sila naman ang nag-imbestiga na inatasan ng Pangulo. Sila ‘yung mas may karapatan kung sino ang isasama,” he said.
Lacson knew that the task force has yet to finish its investigation. Health secretary Francisco Duque III and former PhilHealth senior vice president Rodolfo Del Rosario Jr. may still be included among those who will be sued after the second phase of the task force’s investigation, he added.
“Baka sa second phase ng investigation maisama. Kasi may pahayag na rin sila na itutuloy-tuloy nila,” Lacson said.
“So mas mabuting hintayin na lang namin ‘yun. Puwede kaming magsalita na kapos o kulang ‘yung nirekomenda ng DOJ. Pero kung hindi pa tapos ang investigation, baka we might be speaking too soon,” he added./PN
