By Fernan Angeles
THE resigned PhilHealth anti-fraud officer suddenly tagged Philippine Red Cross chairman and Senator Richard Gordon as an alleged conspirator in the anomalous deal between the state health insurer and the non-profit organization.
In a television interview, Lawyer Thorrsson Montes Keith said that a transaction between PhilHealth and the PRC could result in Gordon’s indictment for “undue injury” to the government.
“I think Senator Gordon is trying to seek help from a more powerful person by just announcing that one,” says Keith in an apparent reference to Gordon’s recommendation that officials of the Aquino administration be charged for alleged PhilHealth irregularities.
“Based on my investigation, he could also be indicted from this PhilHealth mess because Red Cross had a deal with PhilHealth which could have caused a gross undue injury to the government which could amount to a crime,” he added.
Keith said the deal involved the controversial interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM) which PhilHealth uses to provide funds to hospitals and healthcare facilities in advance for insurance claims.