MALACAÑANG on Tuesday, September 15, 2020, said President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the recommendation to file criminal and administrative charges against some former and incumbent executive officers of state-owned Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
In his virtual press conference Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said former president and CEO Ricardo Morales will be among those who will be charged.
Based on the report of Task Force PhilHealth, which was submitted to the President on September 14, other executives who will be charged are Jovita Aragona, senior vice president for information management sector; Calixto Gabuya Jr., acting senior manager of the information technology and management department; Renato Limsiaco Jr., senior vice president for fund management sector; Arnel de Jesus, executive vice president and chief operating officer; and Israel Francis Pargas, senior vice president for health finance policy sector.
“I am sorry for them but they would have to undergo trial. Although, they can always prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Wala pa namang ano pa eh. The presumption of innocence still attaches but the report of another agency says otherwise. So gano’n ho ang nangyari sa PhilHealth, halos lahat sa board,” Duterte said in his televised meeting with some Cabinet members Monday night, September 14.
Roque said the task force report found that PhilHealth’s board of directors and executive committee “have not shown the due diligence required of them in the discharge of their duties, particularly in the disbursement of the National Health Insurance Fund.”
This was indicated in the following acts of the board and executive committee: