(Eagle News)–PhilHealth Chief Ricardo Morales has filed a medical leave.
Morales made the disclosure in a television interview on Monday, Aug. 10, days after his doctor advised him to file the leave as he continues his chemotherapy for lymphoma.
“Well I have already relayed to my bosses my intentions and it’s up to them to decide,” he said.
He said he avoided taking the leave before since PhilHealth was “in a difficult time.”
He cited the time the government was “in the midst of implementing the Universal Healthcare Law.”
“My fate is in (my bosses’) hands,” he added.
Earlier, several PhilHealth employees called on President Rodrigo Duterte to assign a “caretaker” at the state insurer, noting that the Senate and the House of Representatives and other government agencies had launched separate probes into the allegations of corruption there.
The allegations were made by Thorrsson Montes Keith, who cited corruption as one of the reasons he resigned as PhilHealth anti-fraud officer in July.
Maria Fe Francisco, national president of the PhilHealth Workers for Hope, Integrity, Transparency, and Empowerment (White) called for the designation of a person “with proven integrity and incorruptibility” as she noted that morale was already low among rank-and-file employees.
Over the weekend, a medical certificate sent by Morales’ doctor to the Office of Senate President Tito Sotto showed Morales had been diagnosed with lymphoma, and was advised to take a leave of absence.