In the wake of the resignation of its president and chief executive officer (CEO), Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) officer-in-charge (OIC) Arnel de Jesus gave assurance of uninterrupted benefits for members even though premium contributions have dropped amid corruption allegations at the state-owned insurer.

This is guaranteed under the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law, De Jesus said.

“PhilHealth stresses the medical benefits of its members will continue and those who need it for treatment, especially now that there is a pandemic,” De Jesus said in a statement.

This developed even as presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced that President Rodrigo Duterte has a choice of names that may replace PhilHealth president and CEO Ricardo Morales which he will announce within days.

“I don’t want to preempt the President but it won’t last long. I would say within one week,” he said without disclosing details.

This was corroborated by Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go who told Senate reporters in a spot interview that he had spoken with the President early Friday morning about the new PhilHealth chief.

“He will decide by Monday when he finally chooses General (Ricardo) Morales’ replacement,” Go said.

De Jesus as OIC said the alleged corruption and decrease in contributions at PhilHealth should not hinder the continued delivery of benefits as the Universal Health Care Law guarantees these for Filipinos.

“The public should not worry the benefits will stop given the suspension of key officials as Congress looks into the irregularities at the agency,” De Jesus, who also serves as executive vice president and chief operating officer, said.

Resigned senior vice president (SVP) Rodolfo del Rosario Jr. gave assurance De Jesus, now in the hospital for multiple heart-related ailments, and who skipped the Senate inquiry, can still perform his duties despite his medical condition.

“I know his condition is temporary and the doctors have to change the battery to his pacemaker. Aside from that, he is healthy and able to function,” Del Rosario, who works under De Jesus, said in a broadcast interview.

The PhilHealth board, fully aware of his health condition, named De Jesus as OIC at PhilHealth and able to attend the next Senate hearings, Del Rosario said.

De Jesus was designated OIC when former PhilHealth president and CEO Ricardo Morales took a medical leave.

PhilHealth corporate secretary Jonathan Mangaoang told a House panel the board had already designated De Jesus as OIC.

In the same hearing, legislators questioned De Jesus’ absence at the investigations. The legislators demanded the OIC’s attendance via teleconferencing at the next hearings.

Del Rosario on Friday did not dispute the findings of Senator Richard Gordon on corruption at the state insurer.

He said Gordon’s report was based on the 2019 Senate investigation at PhilHealth arising from the WellMed dialysis scam.

Gordon reported eight regional vice presidents belonging to the Mindanao Group are the real mafia at PhilHealth.

This was the same claim Del Rosario bared before the House and Senate investigations.

“I agree with the findings of the good senator,” Del Rosario said.

At the Senate, Senator Panfilo Lacson, one of two senators probing corrupt practices at PhilHealth, earlier said the executive committee is the real mafia although Del Rosario denied this.

Del Rosario was with the executive committee in 2018 and insisted there were no such activities then.

He maintained his role was advisor to the PhilHealth president and CEO “on matters on the implementation” of directives approved by the PhilHealth board.

“We didn’t even meet among ourselves. We only meet officially when official agenda has to be discussed at the execom level,” he said.

Del Rosario claimed he has a “clear conscience” and ready to face any investigation on alleged widespread corruption at PhilHealth.

“We are ready to face all investigations because, as I have said, my clear conscience is the best argument even though we are drowning in intrigues. We are ready to confront and confident that we are not guilty of all these charges. We welcome all investigations,” he said.

Del Rosario is willing to subject himself to a lifestyle check and has already signed a bank secrecy waiver.

Incumbent board member Alejandro Cabading earlier tagged Del Rosario, SVP for management services sector Dennis Mas; SVP for fund management sector Renato Limsiaco; and PhilHealth board secretary and lawyer Jonathan Mangaoang as members of the alleged mafia.

The Senate Committee of the Whole is set to release its report next week.

Lacson said the report may recommend anti-corrupt practices charges, violation of the National Internal Revenue Code and malversation.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said there will be no sacred cows in the Senate report.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon was dismayed by the designation of PhilHealth executive vice president and COO Arnel de Jesus as officer-in-charge.

“I am deeply disappointed with the appointment of Mr. De Jesus as officer-in-charge of PhilHealth. As PhilHealth’s chief operating officer, he implemented the questionable interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM). It must be remembered that he was the one who kept justifying the download of IRM funds to non-COVID-19 hospitals such as dialysis and maternity clinics. His action and poor professional judgment were so evident during the hearings of the committee of the whole on PhilHealth,” Drilon said on Friday.

It was De Jesus who said liquidation is optional when PhilHealth should have required hospitals to liquidate the funds immediately as required by Commission on Audit rules.

“He signed the illegal liquidation memorandum circular which gave too much discretion to regional directors, which resulted in this financial mess and corruption,” Drilon stressed.

For the minority chief, De Jesus’ past actions do not justify his appointment as OIC and “extremely concerned” of the designation.

“It is going to be the same old story of corruption and incompetence. What PhilHealth needs now is a cleansing process. We need someone with unblemished credibility, with zero tolerance for corruption and with high regard for accountability, of which Mr. De Jesus really falls short and is really unqualified,” he said.

“He is not the right man to lead PhilHealth,” he added.

De Jesus has been designated as OIC when former PhilHealth president and CEO Ricardo Morales took a medical leave, days before he was asked by President Duterte to vacate his post.

But after Morales officially resigned from his post, PhilHealth Corporate Secretary Jonathan Mangaoang said in a House inquiry that the board had already approved the designation of De Jesus as the OIC.

President Duterte had a singular order to Morales when he took over PhilHealth: Rid the agency of corruption.

In an ideal world, Morales could have removed the so-called “mafia” members in the agency and introduce reforms and rid it of anomalies.

But the former general apparently forgot his mandate when he instead promoted some of the alleged “mafia” members.

For instance, Morales appointed Valerie Anne Hollero, erstwhile PhilHealth assistant corporate secretary, as regional vice president (RVP) for Western Visayas although she is linked to the so-called mafia.

“It seems that he has been leveraging so he can join the inner circle with ease and comfort,” a source told the Daily Tribune in an interview.

A board member reportedly questioned Morales’ move, who then promised to would take back Holleros’ promotion.

“He promised, he committed during board meeting that he will withdraw the designation — but he never did. So, observe that these are the same people attacking him,” the source said.

Holleros was among those tagged by ex-PhilHealth chief Roy Ferrer as mafia member, along with Datu Masiding Alonto, Jr., agency vice president for Mindanao; and Khaliquzzaman Macabato, regional vice president for the Bangsamoro Region.

The others were Paolo Johan Perez, RVP of PhilHealth Regional Office 4B; Dennis Adre, RVP of PhilHealth Regional Office XII; Jelbert Galicto, RVP of PhilHealth Regional Office CARAGA; and William Chavez, RVP of PhilHealth Regional Office Region VII.

At a congressional inquiry this month, Morales was asked if he considered Alonto and Macabato inordinately influential, to which he replied: “I could not move them.”

PhilHealth senior vice president Rodolfo del Rosario said the so-called Mindanao group at PhilHealth was involved in alleged irregularities.

“Noong nag-imbentaryo po kami ng cases, there were cases pending against them, there were cases that remained unacted for the longest time,” the ex-SVP said.

The President appointed Morales as PhilHealth chief in June last year following the resignation of Roy Ferrer over alleged P300 million bogus insurance claims by a dialysis clinic.

The revelation of resigned anti-legal fraud officer Thorrsson Montes Keith that some senior executives have stolen some P15 billion from the agency through fraudulent schemes triggered new probes and congressional investigations on the agency. (Daily Tribune)