CLAIM: Sen. Risa Hontiveros stole P1.76 billion from PhilHealth bonuses.
RATING: FALSE
A pro-Duterte Facebook user falsely claimed that Sen. Risa Hontiveros embezzled P1.76b from Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) bonuses during her term as a board member of the state health insurer.
The post featured a photo of Sen. Hontiveros and a screenshot of a 2016 Manila Standard article titled “Hontiveros dared to return P1.76b in PhilHealth bonuses.”
The false claim against Hontiveros first emerged on social media in 2016 when she was accused of using missing PhilHealth funds for her senatorial campaign, and it recently resurfaced following the convening of the Senate as an impeachment court for Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment case.
In its 2013 audit report, the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged the disallowed bonuses and allowances that PhilHealth granted amounting to P1.76 billion in the year 2013.
Hontiveros was appointed as PhilHealth board member in November 2014, and by that time the disallowances had already been released.
She took her oath of office in June 2015, and resigned in October the same year to prepare for her senatorial campaign during the 2016 election.
Hontiveros’ official Facebook page debunked the allegations in 2017 by releasing a statement: “I was appointed to PhilHealth in 2014-15. The bonus in question was in 2013.”
Following the resurgence of the allegations, Hontiveros’ Facebook page posted another statement on June 18 refuting the false claims, stating, “Walang katotohanan ang paulit-ulit na PhilHealth fake news na kumakalat kung saan-saan” (There is no truth to the repeated PhilHealth fake news circulating everywhere).
It also attached a YouTube video link of her interview in 2020 addressing the same false claims. Alessandra Reodique
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