‘Sacked PhilHealth chief still member of board’

MANILA, Philippines — Despite her dismissal as interim president of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), Celestina Ma. Jude dela Serna is still a board member of the state-run health insurer. 

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque confirmed yesterday that Dela Serna, who was accused of going on costly trips, was fired as interim president but would remain as a member of the PhilHealth board. 

“Yes, she is,” Roque said in a text message when asked whether Dela Serna is still with the PhilHealth board. 

Pressed on why Dela Serna is still part of the board despite the allegations against her, Roque replied: “Pls ask ES (Executive Secretary).”

Dela Serna concurrently served as representative of the overseas workers sector when she was still interim president. 

President Duterte fired Dela Serna as PhilHealth interim president and named Roy Ferrer as officer-in-charge of the health insurer. 

The dismissal came two months after the Commission on Audit released a memorandum stating that Dela Serna’s travel costs to and from Bohol and Manila reached P627,000 in 2017, the same year PhilHealth’s losses reached P8.92 billion.

Dela Serna has claimed that all her travels were authorized and that she had to pay for hotels because PhilHealth does not have a service apartment. 

Roque has confirmed that the expensive travels cost Dela Serna her post. 

“Perhaps the P3,800 per day hotel costs when she was still (interim president), she let PhilHealth pay for them and because of the losses incurred by PhilHealth,” Roque told dwFM when asked why Duterte fired Dela Serna. 

Roque also said the dismissal serves as a warning to appointees not to abuse their positions. 

“If you ask people from Davao, that interim president was really powerful. Perhaps that’s the reason why she abused her position,” Roque said in Filipino. 

“As the President said before, those who are close to him are the ones who are abusing their power. That is the reason why she was fired,” he added. 

PhilHealth should undergo a “comprehensive financial check-up” to determine if the national health insurer is in “the pink of health” resources-wise, Sen. Sonny Angara said yesterday.

“We hope Dr. Ferrer can look after the financials of PhilHealth amidst the allegations of excessive travel expenses, overpayment of claims and other problems which threaten the financial viability of PhilHealth funds. Every peso misspent is a peso taken away from poor Filipino families who need it the most,” Angara said.

He said there should be a body that will capably track PhilHealth’s actuarial life.

“Ideally, it should be the PhilHealth board that shall serve as guarantor of PhilHeath’s sustainability. But if the board is subject to political or management capture, its supposed work is compromised,” he added.

Angara also suggested that the PhilHealth board should have a long-term view and should insulate the fund from wasteful or populist programs, which shorten PhilHealth’s life.

Angara said if oversight had not been lax, questionable expenses like the hotel bills of Dela Serna would have been flagged early.

He also expressed concern over the alleged diversion of the P10.6-billion funds for senior citizens to the supposed construction of rural health units in 2015.

The lawmaker’s father, the late senator Edgardo Angara, was the principal author of the law creating PhilHealth and the Senior Citizens Act. 

“We should remember that PhilHealth is a megacorporation. Last year, it spent over P100 billion in payouts. It is also a major recipient of government funds, with more than P60 billion allocated in this year’s national budget for the enrollment of 15 million indigents and senior citizens,” the senator said.   –  With Paolo Romero, Christina Mendez