By Fernan Angeles
THE embattled Philippine Health Insurance Corporation has a new boss.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana confirmed that President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Dante Gierran as the new chief executive officer of the controversial state insurer.
Gierran takes the place of Ricardo Morales, who was forced to resign as PhilHealth president and CEO last week, a day after the President expressed his desire to see the former general step down.
Gierran served as NBI chief since his appointment in 2016. He retired in February and was replaced by Eric Distor who was named officer-in-charge of the NBI.
Morales, who is reportedly undergoing treatment for lymphoma, stepped down from his post amid an ongoing investigation over the alleged systematic corruption within the state health insurance firm.
Duterte has created an inter-agency task force led by the Department of Justice to probe PhilHealth officials over the corruption claims which were unearthed during recent congressional inquiries.
Among allegations of corruption raised involve the procurement of alleged overpriced IT equipment; a supposedly questionable release of funds under the corporation’s Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM); and the alleged manipulation of the corporation’s financial status.