(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the newly-designated chief of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) former National Bureau of Investigation director Dante Gierran to find out who were the Philhealth officials who should be charged in court and put to jail, including their accomplices outside the agency.
Duterte also directed Gierran to reshuffle the heads and officials of the different Philhealth regional offices.
“Si Gierran, he is a lawyer and an accountant. Sabi ko sa kanya, ‘The next two years will be devoted to fight against corruption. Maghanap kayo nang mapakulong natin para may maiwan tayo sa kulungan,'” President Duterte said in a his televised meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases Monday night, Aug. 31.
The President directed both Gierran and the head of the Bureau of Customs Rey Leonardo Guerrero to reshuffle officials of the regional offices in their areas of jurisdiction. This is also the directive for the National Bureau of Investigation.
“Sabi ko I’ll give you just like the NBI and Customs. I called Jagger, si Guerrero dito, Commissioner, sabi ko sa kanya, ‘I want to see a reshuffle of the different regional offices within the next two or three days.’
That goes for the NBI pati PhilHealth. Iyong mga tao na ayaw tanggalin, ibigay mo ‘yung pangalan nila, I will send them a memorandum. I will ask them to report to me dito sa Malacañan,” he said.
The President said that familiarity is a factor for the reshuffle of Philhealth officials who have been staying in their posts for a long time now.
“You know, if they are there for so long a time, the element of familiarity always enters the picture. Iyan ang mahirap diyan. Kung matagal na, tanggalin na. Iyong ayaw magtanggal — ayaw magpatanggal, mag-report kayo dito sa opisina,” the President said.
-DOJ about to finish probe on Philhealth-
Duterte said that the Department of Justice is already winding up the investigation of Philhealth, and that Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra has already seen evidence to support the filing of cases against erring officials.
“I think that he has — he has seen proof enough to come up with an indictment. I hope that this sad episode in our national life — in our journey towards nation-building will be somehow corrected,” the President said.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the incoming Philhealth chief Gierran has seven years of managerial experience and is also a CPA lawyer which makes him more than capable to handle the agency.
Being the former head of the NBI, he also has the investigative skills to probe anomalies and corruption in Philhealth.
(Eagle News Service)