Ex-Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque on Thursday filed graft, usurpation of judicial functions and grave misconduct complaints against 11 former and active officials of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. before the Office of the Ombudsman.
He accused PhilHealth president Roy Ferrer of reversing a Court of Appeals’ suspension against an erring hospital, the Perpetual Succour Hospital Inc., in Cebu in 2015.
He named as respondents Ruperto Aleroza, Celestina dela Serna, Eddie Dorotan, Joan Lareza, Hildegardes Dineros, Roberto Salvador Jr., Anthony Leachon, Charade Grande, Jonathan Mangaoang and Lora Mangasar, as well as the hospital itself.
The appellate court found the hospital guilty of two counts of extending a patient’s period of confinement in violation of the PhilHealth law.
It sanctioned the hospital with a three-month suspension and a P10,000 fine, upholding a previous PhilHealth decision.
However, PhilHealth defied the Court of Appeals’ ruling, imposed a P100,000 fine and got back all the benefits unnecessarily paid for by it.
Roque said due to the reversal of the suspension order, the government lost P90 million in PhilHealth claims.
“Because of corruption, the fund of PhilHealth was washed out,” he said.
“The filing is sending a strong message that PhilHealth officials must stop corruption within the agency.”