ILOILO CITY - - Former health secretary Janette Garin is preparing her legal move against several former officials of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) following the accusations that she allegedly diverted the PHP10.6 billion originally meant for the payment of senior citizens’ insurance premiums to establish rural health units (RHUs).
In a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Garin said that her lawyer is looking into the possibility of filing criminal and administrative cases against former PhilHealth officer-in-charge Celestina Jude Dela Serna.
She added that they are also looking at filing a case against Reuben Basa, former PhilHealth Senior Vice-President for health finance policy sector.
Garin said that the allegation on the PHP10.6 billion diversion is a “big lie”.
“The intention of which is to cover up the real mess and mismanagement behind the billions of PhilHealth loss,” she said,
“There was no release of PHP10.6 billion un-programmed fund because this can only be released if there is excess tax collection and it is not earmarked for PhilHealth but for DOH to attain millennium development goals (MDGs) and universal healthcare. However, un-programmed fund was not released even to DOH because the National Treasury did not issue any certification indicating excess tax collection,” she added.
Garin also said that the previous DOH officials did not disregard senior citizens.
She said that in 2014, a total of PHP35.3 billion was released to PhilHealth, inclusive of the senior citizens premium.
She added that in 2015, it increased to PHP37.06 billion; PHP43.84 billion in 2016, and in 2017 with PHP50.15 billion.
“Aside from this, point of care being paid by DOH Hospitals and other participating hospitals, plus medical assistance program of PHP3 billion was also given. DOH likewise had the hypertensive and diabetes and cancer club to cater to the senior citizens’ needs,” she said.
Garin also previously reacted to the statements of Dela Serna during a Senate investigation of her travel expenses and the issue on the sustainability of the agency's funds.
In a copy of complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman, Dela Serna alleged that the PHP10.6 billion originally meant for the payment of senior citizens' insurance premiums was diverted by Garin and former PhilHealth president Alex Padilla in favor of the establishment of DOH's rural health units nationwide.
Based on the complaint, on April 28, 2015, Padilla sent a letter to Garin to ask the Department of Budget and Management to process the Special Allotment Release Order and release the funds as payment for the senior citizens as mandated under Republic Act No. 10645 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act and the National Health Insurance Program.
But the former health chief said that there were “a lot of fraud being committed right and left” because PhilHealth is now in a huge deficit.
“PhilHealth should now be overhauled and PhilHealth should be the number one customer in terms of health insurance provision,” she said. (PNA)
