PhilHealth’s P2B ‘overpriced’ IT system under probe: Palace

By Prince Golez

The allegedly overpriced purchase of an IT system worth over P2 billion by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is currently being investigated, Malacañang said Friday.

In an interview with GMA’s “Unang Hirit,” Roque said PhilHealth’s private board members opposed the purchase of an IT system with a component worth P734 million that has yet to get approval from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

“Ni-refer ko talaga iyan for investigation at ngayon po ine-imbestigahan ng Office of the Presidential—iyong OPS na tinatawag, hindi pala OPS—iyong posisyon po dati ni Senator Bong Go, iyan po ang opisinang nage-imbestiga ngayon at saka ang Presidential Management Staff,” according to Roque.

“Ikukumpirma ko po na nagkaroon ng pagpupulong, para sabihin na nag-i-imbestiga na po ang kinauukulan, pinakinggan po ang lahat at ang naging conclusion ay isang maigting na imbestigasyon ang gagawin, at least dito sa isyu ng IT purchase. Pero kasi, importante iyong IT purchase lahat ng kababalaghan diyan sa PhilHealth ay nagagawa, kasi nga po wala silang mabuting IT system para maiwasan iyang korapsyon na iyan,” he added.

Roque also asked PhilHealth’s anti-fraud officer Thorrsson Montes Keith, who recently resigned from his post due to “widespread corruption” in the agency, to help with the investigation.

“Nanawagan ako sa kanya, ngayong mayroon ng pormal na imbestigasyon, sana makipagtulungan na lang siya, bagama’t siya po ay nag-resign na, para matigil na once and for al lang corruption diyan sa PhilHealth,” the Palace official said.

“Kung hindi niya nagawa habang siya ay nasa loob, eh gawin na niya ngayon at sabihin niya ang lahat ng nalalaman niya bilang anti-fraud officer na dala mismo ni General Morales doon sa mga nag-iimbestiga,” he added.

In his resignation letter dated July 23, 2020, Keith mentioned “rampant and patent unfairness in the promotion process.”

The official likewise opposed the mandatory payment of PhilHealth contribution by Overseas Foreign Workers, which he dismissed as “unconstitutional or not part of the Universal Health Care Law.”

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)