New Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) president and CEO Dante Gierran bucked the proposal of privatization of the state health insurer, noting that it would send the “wrong signal” to the public.
Gierran, who was a former National Bureau of Investigation director, replaced controversial Ricardo Morales, who resigned from his post over health reasons in the middle of the billion-peso stolen funds investigation.
Pushing for PhilHealth’s privatization might give an impression that government officials cannot be trusted by the public in managing the agency, Gierran stressed during a hearing at the House of Representatives
“Are we telling the people of the Philippines and the world na ang mga tao lang sa pribado ang marunong magtrabaho nang tama? Hindi marunong ang mga taga-gobyerno tulad natin?” he said.
“Wow, hindi maganda yan. It will send a wrong signal to our people that people in the government cannot be trusted,” Geirran added.
The PhilHealth chief insisted that the privatization proposal might not be favorable for the members of the state health insurer.
“We respect the wisdom of the President. But kung i-privatize ang PhilHealth, ano ang mangyari sa ating mga miyembro? Saan pupunta itong mga miyembro natin?” Gierran said.
“Sa PhilHealth, meron tayong tinatawag na outright membership. Kahit hindi ka miyembro kapag pumunta ka sa ospital, member ka kaagad. And then outright eligibility. Saan natin kukunin ito kapag i-privatize natin ito?” he added.
It was President Rodrigo Duterte himself who put forward the proposal of PhilHealth’s privatization on the table.
“Itong PhilHealth, I am going to propose to Congress to abolish the— Kung i-privatize mo naman, susmaryosep, walang pera. Sinong insurer niyo? Sabihin ng mga kapitalista sa insurance, ‘kami ang magbayad? Wala kayong pondo,’” he said in a televised address.
“That’s the reason why we are selling properties, real estate properties in Japan because we have to raise money. Wala nang pambayad diyan sa PhilHealth na ‘yan kaya walang ibang remedy diyan, it must be a surgical move,” he said. RJ Espartinez