By Fernan Angeles
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation President and chief executive officer Dante Gierran, who had just been on board the embattled state insurer for weeks, doesn’t seem amenable to the idea of privatizing the graft-tainted agency.
According to Gierran, privatizing PhilHealth might give an impression that government officials cannot be trusted in managing the agency.
Expressing concerns over the reported proposal of President Rodrigo Duterte to privatize the state health insurer, Gierran said in a Senate hearing that privatizing the state health insurer will send a “wrong signal” on the part of government officials.
“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.
He also hinted that privatization of his agency may not do any favor to 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.
Aside from privatization, the President also toyed an idea of just asking Congress to abolish it, citing there won’t be takers from the private sector anyway.
“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.
Duterte cited the lack of funds as the reason the Philippines has been selling properties to Japan.
“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.
PhilHealth has since said its abolition will be a big loss to the Filipino people.