By Fernan Angeles
LESS than 24 hours after President Rodrigo Duterte expressed his desire to see the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) chief executive officer Ricardo Morales go, the embattled boss of the state insurer has tendered his letter of resignation.
Aside from Morales, PhilHealth Senior Vice President (SVP) for the legal sector Rodolfo del Rosario Jr. has likewise resigned from his position amid corruption allegations in the agency.
Their resignation letters were received by the Office of the Executive Secretary in Malacañang today.
However, Morales said that the President, who appointed him to PhilHealth last year with a marching order to institute reforms, asked him to resign over his on-and-off health condition.
Morales is on medical leave, claiming to be suffering from lymphoma and undergoing chemotherapy.
“Nagpapasalamat naman ako sa Pangulo na pinayagan niya akong magpahinga. At ngayon maaatupag ko na yung aking kalusugan at aking pamilya,” Morales said.
He also assured cooperation in investigations being done on the alleged irregularities within PhilHealth, even expressing confidence that he will be given a “fair treatment.”
“Alam mo, tuloy-tuloy pa rin naman yung imbestigasyon, I’m still, nagpirma ako ng bank secrecy waiver, nagsubmit kami sa lifestyle check, nagsubmit ako ng mga dokumento, yung SALN (Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth),” Morales said.
“Nagko-cooperate ako sa imbestigasyon na ginagawa ng Department of Justice. And I am confident I will be given a fair treatment,” he added.
Duterte earlier ordered the Department of Justice to form an inter-agency task force to investigate corruption allegations in PhilHealth.
“I’m back to anonymity, malaking pasalamat. Para akong nabunutan ng tinik. Malaking pasalamat ko sa Pangulo natin. Isa siyang tunay na… he never wavers in his confidence in me and I’m so humbled by his loyalty. Tunay na kaibigan,” Morales said.
Morales’ resignation two days after the Senate concluded its inquiry into PhilHealth’s alleged corruption, involving funds for a P2-billion information technology project and a P30-billion interim reimbursement mechanism to hospitals intended for COVID-19 patients.
Rodolfo del Rosario Jr. for his part said:
“As I cannot afford to be unemployed for the next 6 months, and understanding that the corporation would need an SVP legal at these trying times, I have tendered my irrevocable resignation effective August 24, 2020. This was a painful decision,” Del Rosario wrote on his Facebook post.
Del Rosario was among the 4 members of the so-called mafia in PhilHealth who ran fraudulent schemes through which some executives might have pocketed around P15 billion, as identified by PhilHealth board member Alejandro Cabading in a Senate probe.
Del Rosario was appointed as SVP for PhilHealth’s legal sector in April last year.
He was also among the 13 PhilHealth officials suspended by the Ombudsman.
Duterte, in a taped speech aired Tuesday, vowed that he would spend his two years left in office to prosecute those involved in PhilHealth’s supposed irregularities.