Duterte wants PhilHealth chief back in NBI

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has asked Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) chief Dante Gierran to return to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Gierran, a lawyer and a certified public accountant, was the first NBI chief under the Duterte administration.

“Gierran used to be the NBI chief. Go back there... I am sure you will be replaced,” Duterte said.

“There are intramurals in your PhilHealth. If I were you, I’d go back to the NBI and work like hell to fight drugs and COVID included,” he said in Filipino.

It was, however, unclear if Duterte was serious when he said he wanted Gierran to return to the NBI.

Gierran stepped down from the bureau in February 2020 after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65.

Speaking during the inspection of the OFW Hospital in Pampanga yesterday, Duterte vowed to continue running after drug traffickers after he steps down from office, saying the drug problem is destroying families, including those of overseas Filipino workers who are experiencing hardships in other countries.

He said the sacrifices of migrant workers would be put to waste if their children end up becoming drug addicts.

“They (domestic helpers) work overtime, they clean the house of their masters, the house of their son-in-law, she has to clean about two houses every day. Their standard sleeping hours is three to four hours. They experience hardships, they are raped, they are punished. When they come home, their efforts are all for nothing,” Duterte said.

“That’s why I am really angry with them. Sons of b******. Even if I am no longer President, I would really kill you,” he added, referring to drug rings.

When he was running for president in 2016, Duterte, then the mayor of Davao City, promised to end the drug menace within the first six months of his term. He later admitted that he could not fulfill his promise because of the seriousness of the problem, which he said involved several mayors and police generals.