CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Twelve officials of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) have filed several complaints against the agency’s president and chief executive officer (CEO) for alleged violation of several laws.
The employees said they have filed the complaints against PhilHealth chief Dr. Roy Benedicto Ferrer before the Office of the Ombudsman on Oct. 27.
They alleged that Ferrer has violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, National Health Insurance Act, Ethical Standards of Public Employees Act, and a handful of other offenses.
Except for lawyer Jelbert Galicto, who is the incumbent head of the legal office for PhilHealth in Caraga, most of the complainants are from the PhilHealth office based in Davao City, namely, lawyer Suzette Punay, Patrick Angelo Uy, Khristin Tan, Germaine Tan, Johana Blazon, Christopher Molina, Rosaline Ann Bajo, Ma. Teresa Tesoro, Mary Grace Socorro Gonzalo, Jonas Matthew Pang, and Filbert Bryan Sollesta.
The accusers alleged that Ferrer claimed and was paid P604,080 in PhilHealth benefits for professional fees as sole attending physician from March 2017 to June 2018.
“This is illegal as Dr. Ferrer (as Acting PhilHealth President and CEO) should not approve and make payments to himself (as accredited PhilHealth provider. He also received P1.55 [million in salaries and allowances in 2017 as an officer of the Corporation,” they said in a statement.
Ferrer was appointed member of the PhilHealth board of directors in February 2017.
On May 1, 2018, he was granted a three-year PhilHealth accreditation as a healthcare profession by then PhilHealth regional vice president for Davao Rodolfo Del Rosario Jr.
On June 5, 2018, Ferrer was appointed as PhilHealth acting president and CEO.
In a Nov. 7 statement released by PhilHealth national office, Ferrer said the charges filed against him are “fueled by misguided retribution because of the organizational reforms I have initiated to improve PhilHealth’s overall performance.”
On the amount that Ferrer supposedly collected from PhilHealth even after his appointment as the corporation’s chief on June 5, the agency said: “However, records show that his last claim for services rendered as for a patient admitted on June 3, 2018 or two days prior to his assumption as Acting PCEO.”
Ferrer said he welcomes “inquiries into these allegations and offer my full cooperation all in view of dismissing these claims which are baseless. Bring it on. I have nothing to hide.” (davaotoday.com)
