Malacañang on Wednesday confirmed that President Rodrigo Duterte had received the resignation letter of embattled Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) President and CEO Ricardo Morales.
However, Palace spokesman Harry Roque said that Duterte had yet to accept it.
Morales is battling lymphoma, the cancer of the lymph nodes, and is on medical leave.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra told reporters on Tuesday that Duterte took note of Morales’ health situation and urged the latter to leave his post.
In a public address aired on Tuesday, Duterte vowed to go after corrupt PhilHealth officials in the remainder of his presidency.
During the same address, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra reported that the justice department’s task force had found irregularities in the state insurer’s information technology system, legal sector and financial management.
Morales was appointed by Duterte as PhilHealth chief in August 2019.
PhilHealth has been under investigation since its anti-fraud officer, Thorrsson Keith, revealed corrupt schemes in the state health insurance firm, through which members of the PhilHealth “mafia” had allegedly pocketed about P15 billion. John Ezekiel J. Hirro