COA probe sought for alleged diversion of P10.6-B PhilHealth funds

By RIE TAKUMI, GMA News
Audit on PhilHealth funds should be done first by the Commission on Audit (COA) before a third-party auditor comes in, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said Friday, amid the alleged diversion on PhilHealth funds to the Department of Health (DOH) during the past administration.
Janette Garin, the DOH secretary when the alleged diversion took place, has denied wrongdoing and suggested that an external audit team should look into PhilHealth's fund management.
Duque said they are open to an external audit, but it should be done by COA first.
"Ang mandato ng COA, bilang isang constitutional body, ay bantayan at tingnan kung maayos ba ang paggamit ng pondo ng PhilHealth," Duque said at a forum.
"Bago tayo gumastos para sa isang third-party audit, gamitin muna natin 'yung COA dahil 'yun naman ang kanyang constitutional mandate."
During a joint congressional review of PhilHealth's finances earlier this week, it was revealed that some P10.6 billion in PhilHealth funds for senior citizens were illegally diverted in December 2015 to the DOH for its rural health centers program.
Duque had earlier presented a letter signed by Garin and then-PhilHealth president Alexander Padilla showing that the two officials requested P10.6 billion initially intended for senior citizens be used instead for the construction of rural health units.
Duque said Padilla's statement did not clarify the situation.
"Yung sulat na 'yun ang pinapakita, hindi pumasok 'yung pera kasi bakit nga naman siya hihingi ulit. Pero ang tanong naman, the fact na humihingi kayo, kinikilala ninyo na 'yung P10.6 billion dapat talaga for the senior citizen. Dito yung medyo may kalabuan at kailangan ng paglilinaw," he said.
Duque said the DBM and COA are the keys in providing the "missing link" as to what happened to the P10.6 billion.
"To put a closure on this, it's the DBM and COA who will finally supplant the missing link," he said.
In the meantime, Duque said they will wait for the Ombudsman's decision on the case lodged against Garin and Padilla. —KBK, GMA News

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