NEW CHIEF | Duterte picks ex-NBI director as PhilHealth boss

September 1, 2020 , 11:23 AM

(September 01, 2020) – President Rodrigo Duterte has handpicked a former law enforcer as the new head of the state-run medical insurance corporation, giving instructions to clean up the institution and sending to jail corrupt executives.

The popular leader also wanted Dante Gierran, the retired director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to reshuffle top executives, particularly all the regional vice presidents who were suspected to be colluding with hospitals to inflate claims.

“Si Gierran he is a lawyer and an accountant. So palagay ko, sabi ko sa kanya, ‘The next two years will be devoted to fight against corruption. Maghanap kayo nang mapakulong natin’,” Duterte said in a late night Monday address.

“Go after corruption. Iyong unabated corruption and with no end in sight and another election coming up and you see the same old faces there. So the same old bata-bata kung sino iyong mga tao nila, wala. Patay.”

Some sectors have questioned the selection of Gierran as the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) boss because it contradicted a provision under the Universal Health Care law.

Under Section 14 of the Republic Act No. 11223, or the Universal Health Care Act, the PhilHealth Board cannot recommend a President and CEO of unless the member is a Filipino citizen and must have at least seven years of experience in the field of public health, management, finance, and health economics or a combination of any of these expertise.

But Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra praised Gierran’s investigative background.

“Former NBI director Gierran’s legal and accounting background, his well-known investigative skills, administrative abilities and fiscal prudence makes him fit for the PhilHealth top position, and equip him well to pursue the cleansing process and reformation at PhilHealth to their logical conclusion,” he said in a statement.

Gierran, who was in the Monday night meeting with Duterte said he did not apply for the position, but accepted it as he was a “good soldier”.

“I am one who would not back out from a mission and this is a mission. I know it’s a huge mission and I am consoled by the fact that this early, there are — there have been supports coming in,” Gierran said.

PhilHealth has been at the center of inquiries from Congress, the NBI, and the Commission on Audit following allegations of fraud, corruption, and other irregularities such as overpricing.

Several top officials, such as former president and CEO Ricardo Morales, resigned from their posts, citing their health.

On Tuesday, lawmakers were optimistic with Gierran’s appointment to clean up PhilHealth.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who led the upper chamber of Congress’ probe on PhilHealth lauded the pick and called it a “good choice.”

Opposition lawmaker Senator Franklin Drilon also wished Gierran luck on his new job.

“He should keep his eyes open – never blink – to corruption. A piece of advice: transparency is an effective tool to prevent corruption. I hope his leadership will finally shine a light on PhilHealth which operates in the dark,” Drilon said in a statement.

“It takes more than reshuffling of personnel. A top-to-bottom reorganization is what must be done. Get rid of the corrupt and the incompetent. We should put behind bars those who are part of the syndicates.”

Fellow opposition Senator Kiko Pangilinan was more hesitant about the appointment.

“I have serious misgivings about the appointment given that we clearly need a more wholistic rather than a simplistic law enforcement approach to the cancer confronting PhilHealth in particular and the COVID health crisis in general,” Pangilinan said.

“There is also a question regarding his qualifications considering his lack of experience in the field of public health that Malacañang chose to ignore. For the sake of PhilHealth, my serious misgivings notwithstanding, I hope he succeeds where others have failed.”

Duterte said he wanted to remove corruption by removing all regional vice presidents who have been in their positions for a long time to remove familiarity.

He said he wanted these officials to report to him at his office.

Senator Panfilo Lacson also said it might be unfair to some.

“Removing all the RVP’s of PhilHealth may be easier ordered than implemented considering that a number of them are protected by the civil service law. This is not to mention that it is unjust and unfair to those who are not involved in shenanigans in PhilHealth much less being accused of any crime or facing administrative cases,” he said in a statement.

(Reports from Maeanne Los Baños, Maricel Halili, Marlene Alcaide | Katrina Elaine Alba/MM)

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