The Philippine Health Insurance Corp (PhilHealth) on Thursday announced that 43 senior officers have either resigned or retired in compliance with an order from the state firm’s new president, Dante Gierran.
Gierran’s order directed all PhilHealth senior officers from Salary Grade 26 and above to tender their courtesy resignations.
Of the 43, 27 tendered their courtesy resignation and 16 retired.
Thirty-one were from PhilHealth’s central office while 12 were from regional offices.
Malacañang praised Gierran for “implementing an old PhilHealth Board resolution – which his predecessor, Ricardo Morales, blatantly failed to carry out.”
Morales claimed implementing the board resolution would cause disruptions within the state insurer.
In a statement, Palace spokesman Harry Roque said he believed the spate of resignations would give PhilHealth a “fresh start” and lead to its cleansing.
“We commend PhilHealth PCEO Gierran for his display of decisiveness,” he said.
“We consider this latest development in PhilHealth a step in the right direction as this is in line with President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s directive to reorganize the state health insurer, make erring officials accountable and give the agency a fresh start,” Roque added.
Gierran was given by President Rodrigo Duterte until yearend to rid the corporation of corruption.
Morales and six other PhilHealth officials were earlier recommended to be charged criminally and administratively.
Resigned anti-fraud officer Thorrsson Keith shed light on irregularities within PhilHealth after he revealed a “mafia” that allegedly pocketed P15 billion in state funds. John Ezekiel J. Hirro