(Eagle News) – Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) president and CEO Ricardo Morales has tendered his resignation which was already received in Malacanang as of Wednesday, August 26, the same day that another top official of the agency also said he has already resigned from his post.
Morales’ resignation was confirmed by Senator Christopher “Bong” Go after a talk with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.
“Nakausap ko ES at natanggap na nya resignation ni Morales,” he said in a message to reporters. ES refers to Executive Secretary Medialdea.
The other top official of Philhealth who has also resigned is Senior Vice President for Legal Sector Rodolfo Del Rosario Jr., who has been in hot water for his failure to file cases against erring Philhealth officials and partner health care institutions which had been involved in anomalies.
Earlier, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra has said that President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed his concern for Morales’ health, and said that it is probably wise for him to resign from his post.
“The President took note last night of Morales’ on-and-off health situation, and stated that it would be best for the latter and for PhilHealth to give up his post during these critical times for the agency, ” Guevarra said on Tuesday.
The Philhealth chief filed for a medical leave on August 10 because of his health. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy for lymphoma.
This is said to be the reason why he also suddenly left a House hearing probing Philhealth anomalies and alleged corruption on August 12.
-Del Rosario resigns after Ombudsman suspension order-
Meanwhile, early Wednesday, Philhealth SVP for Legal Atty. Del Rosario who has been grilled at the House of Representatives hearing that probed allegations of anomalies and corruption in Philhealth, said in his Facebook post that he had already resigned.
Del Rosario said he has tendered his “irrevocable resignation effective August 24.
He was among the 13 Philhealth officials who was ordered suspended for six months by the Office of the Ombudsman amid an investigation of the agency.
Del Rosario and 12 other Philhealth officials were ordered suspended without pay for six months, according to the Ombudsman order dated Aug. 18.
“As I cannot afford to be unemployed for the next 6 months, and understanding that the Corporation would need an SVP Legal in these trying times, I have tendered my irrevocable resignation effective August 24, 2020. This was a painful decision,” Del Rosario said in a statement.
“The past days has been so grueling and stressful. The character assassination, trial by publicity, and relentless persecution has left me in so much agony. My six-month suspension was too much to bear,” the suspended Philhealth official said in his Facebook post.
Del Rosario has earlier admitted in a House hearing that he lacks the qualifications to hold the position as Philhealth Legal chief.
He has also admitted that the release of funds under the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM) before June 11 when the circular covering these took effect, was illegal.
The Commission on Audit (COA) earlier also said that PhilHealth has only liquidated P1 billion of the P14.7 billion worth of IRM funds it had released so far.
(Eagle News Service)
