Ping challenges PhilHealth to moratorium on corruption: Kakasa kaya sila?

Will this make them finally see the light?

Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Thursday challenged the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to declare a moratorium on corruption in the wake of recent revelations involving the shenanigans of a well-entrenched “syndicate” there.

Lacson, in a statement, said recent developments, including Tuesday’s hearing at the Senate, has given the public a sneak peek into the extent of corruption at PhilHealth, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I thus pose this challenge to the corrupt elements in PhilHealth: Declare a moratorium on corruption, at least during the pandemic. Who knows, they might actually learn that it feels good not to be corrupt, and thus develop an aversion to corruption,” he said.

Earlier, Lacson bared several moneymaking schemes at PhilHealth, including the questionable implementation of its Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM), gross overpricing in procurement of IT equipment, and doctoring of its financial statements.

On the other hand, Lacson urged PhilHealth executives and rank-and-file employees who have provided information on the corruption not to stop their efforts.

This is even if they may not immediately see the results of their actions, he said.

“I also encourage those in PhilHealth who fight corruption in their own little way – the officials and rank-and-file who continue to provide information and documents – not to tire of blowing the whistle on corruption, even if we may not immediately see the results of their acts,” he said.

Lacson said that if PhilHealth is free of corruption, it can finally do its job to provide health benefits for all Filipinos.

Becoming corruption-free would also ease the minds of lawmakers, Lacson included, in passing the budget for PhilHealth so it can do its job, including implementing the Universal Health Care Act.

“A corruption-free – and more importantly, corruption-averse – PhilHealth will not only ensure much-needed health benefits for all Filipinos in the long run. In the immediate term, it will ease the concerns of lawmakers, myself included, that the budget we pass for PhilHealth to do its job will not be lost to greed,” he said.

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