Cebu hospital also charged
(Eagle News)–Former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque has filed charges against at least 11 former and current officials of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. for allegedly reversing a Court of Appeals decision against a Cebu hospital, which was also charged.
Charged for graft, usurpation of judicial functions, grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, grave abuse of discretion and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service were filed before the Ombudsman against former PhilHealth president Roy Ferrer, Ruperto Aleroza, Celestina Maria Jude dela Serna, Eddie Dorotan, Joan Cristine Reina Libal-Lareza, Hildegardes C. Dineros, Roberto Salvadoe Jr., Anthony Leachon, Charade Mercado Grande, Jonathan Mangaoang and Lora Mangasar.
Also charged was the Perpetual Succour Hospital Inc.
According to Roque, the respondents should be held liable for reversing the CA decision to impose a three-month suspension and a fine on the Cebu hospital after it had been found guilty of extending a patient’s period of confinement in violation of the PhilHealth law.
The respondents, he said, instead imposed a lesser fine on the hospital.
The filing comes a day after the National Bureau of Investigation announced the filing of charges against 21 PhilHealth officials and employees over the accreditation of Wellmed dialysis center in Quezon City despite allegations it was involved in a massive dialysis scam.
Roque is the lawyer of former Wellmed employees Edwin Roberto and Liezel Santos who exposed the scam that sees Wellmed processing PhilHealth claims of already deceased patients.
Roberto and Santos were also charged but have applied for inclusion in the Witness Protection Program.
