The Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) is investigating the information that leaks due to heavy rain have damaged computers and documents in PhilHealth Region 1, which is currently under probe for alleged anomalies.
PACC Commissioner Greco Belgica said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV on Thursday that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents were sent to the area to validate the information.
“I received the report kagabi, mga alas diyes na, pinatignan ko po agad sa NBI at bina-validate… basically tsine-check kung ano talaga ang nangyari doon,” he said.
(I received a report last night, and I immediately asked the NBI to validates. Basically, they were checking what really happened there.)
According to Belgica, PhilHealth Region 1 office is under investigation for allegedly not taking action on at least 200 alleged fraudulent claims, some of which involved “ghost patients.”
He said the supposed leak that damaged documents and computer systems is alarming, given the pending investigation.
“Siyempre this endangers yung mga documents tsaka yung mga computer systems,” the PACC chief said.
(Of course, it endangers the documents and computer systems.)
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Belgica, however, said the PACC, already obtained the important documents to push through with its investigation, although he admitted that recent cases “could be compromised” in case the leak ruined other documents.
“Ang maaaring maapektuhan ay yung mga bagong issues ngayon gaya ng IRM,” he said, referring to the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM).
Belgica revealed earlier PhilHealth has been releasing billions of pesos in payouts every week that are “exposed to corruption” because its information technology (IT) system has no validation mechanism.
He said the IT system used by PhilHealth has no validation mechanism, so employees, hospitals manipulate it. PhilHealth does not check if the claims are valid.
PhilHealth’s Regional Office did not file 220 fraud cases against a hospital even PhilHealth’s central office asked them to do so, Belgica said.
He claimed PhilHealth turned down offers of state-run Landbank, Development Bank of the Philippines, and other private entities for an external validation mechanism though they are free.