Senate Blue Ribbon to probe Duque, PhilHealth

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate Blue Ribbon committee will soon begin its investigation into the alleged conflict of interest on the part of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and the controversy in the state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), committee chairman Sen. Richard Gordon said yesterday.

Duque earlier informed the committee that he would be unable to attend the first hearing, saying he has been busy addressing the outbreak of dengue in many parts of the country.

In his absence, Gordon said the committee summoned some former officials of PhilHealth and experts who could give information on how the funds in PhilHealth are being used and managed by its officials.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson has criticized Duque for alleged conflict of interest as at least two family-owned corporations had contracts with the Department of Health (DOH) and PhilHealth. These dealings include a building in Dagupan City, Pangasinan where PhilHealth is leasing space and the family-owned Doctors’ Pharmaceuticals Inc. (DPI), which reportedly supplied drugs to DOH.

Lacson also linked Duque to the reported overpayments of PhilHealth to private hospitals, including one supposedly owned by a godson of the health chief. 

The senator also suggested that the Senate Blue Ribbon committee look into reports that P39 million worth of Japanese encephalitis medicine the DOH procured expired in May.

Lacson said he already coordinated with the committee secretariat so former DOH chief and now Iloilo Rep. Jannette Garin will be included among the resource persons at the public hearing.

He added that Garin’s testimony is important as this will tie the oversupply of medicines and its expiration.

The encephalitis drug, he added, was also a product of the French drug-maker Sanofi, just like the controversial Dengvaxia. 

The Senate Blue Ribbon committee has jurisdiction on all matters relating to, including investigation of, malfeasance, misfeasance and nonfeasance in office by officers and employees of the government, its branches, agencies and instrumentalities.

It also covers the implementation of the provision of the Constitution on nepotism and investigation of any matter of public interest on its own initiative or brought to its attention by any member of the Senate.

Lacson said among the information he wants the Blue Ribbon committee to establish is how the oversupply of medicine happened.

He revealed that, after he delivered his privileged speech last week, he received letters complaining that they have not been paid, like the one forwarded by the Chinese General Hospital, which said that it is yet to be paid P219 million by the government.

Lacson noted that PhilHealth will oversee the P257-billion fund for the implementation of the Universal Health Care program, thus the reason to check this early on the reported irregularities.