The anti-fraud officer who resigned from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) last week due to alleged “widespread corruption” said the agency’s CEO seems to a former assassin based on his research.
“Tiningnan ko sa Google…parang assassin siya dati [I search him in Google, he seemed to be a former assassin],” Thorrsson Montes Keith said, referring to PhilHealth president and chief executive Ricardo Morales.
Keith added he now hides due to fear and for his safety, citing the state-run insurer operates like a “mafia.”
Morales is a retired military general, like many officials appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Mabait na ako ngayon. Ang hinihiling ko lang sa kaniya, i-substantiate niya ‘yung accusation niya. ‘Yun lang naman,” Morales earlier said as a response to Keith’s corruption allegation.
(I am kind now. All I ask of him is that he substantiate his accusation.)
According to Maki Pulido’s report on “24 Oras,” Keith had the opportunity to sit in on executive committee meetings after PhilHealth hired him in October 2019.
“Ang dami po nilang ina-approve na maanomalyang mga project, ‘yung distribution ng Interim Reimbursement Mechanism funds. Bakit nila ina-approve ‘yun at walang pumapalag sa kanila?” he said.
(They approved many anomalous projects such as the distribution of Interim Reimbursement Mechanism funds. Why did they approve that, and nobody disagreed?)
Interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM) funds provide health care providers with much-needed liquidity to respond to various health situations as such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also read: PhilHealth CEO plans to go on leave amid corruption probe
Keith criticized Morales’ memorandum of allowing hospitals not to liquidate their IRM funds.
“Kapag gano’n po ‘yun, parang puwede na pong mai-compare ‘yun sa intelligence fund na wala na po siyang resibo resibo,” he explained.
(If that is the case, it seems that it can be compared to an intelligence fund that no longer has a receipt.)
The former PhilHealth officer gave GMA News a copy of a June 16, 2020 memorandum signed by Morales, saying that the liquidation could be done at a date yet to be announced instead of in March.
Morales meanwhile said in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB that the funds were indeed being liquidated.
“Nili-liquidate ‘to. Hindi pa natin kasi alam kung saan tatama ito [COVID-19]. Ngayon alam na natin na malakas sa NCR, Cebu’ yan. Ngayon alam natin’ yan, but back in March, hindi natin alam ‘yan. We wanted to be sure, so pre-emptive ‘yun,” the PhilHealth CEO said.