43 PhilHealth execs resign amid corruption allegations

A total of 43 senior officers from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) have resigned or retired following a directive from its new chief, Dante A. Gierran, as part of a reorganization effort.

This move comes amid ongoing allegations of corruption that have been hounding the state insurer.

The resignations and retirements are in response to a September 30 memo from Gierran, which implements a 2019 Board Resolution requiring all senior officers holding Salary Grade 26 and above to submit courtesy resignations.

Malacañang lauded Gierran's "decisiveness" and considered the development a step in the right direction to reorganize the agency and make erring officials accountable.

However, Senator Risa Hontiveros urged the government to ensure that all PhilHealth officials involved in alleged massive corruption face the law, stating that resignation should not be an 'easy exit from justice and accountability'.

She emphasized that these 43 resigned officers are not yet off the hook and that the public demands accountability.

President Duterte had previously ordered charges to be filed against former PhilHealth president Ricardo Morales and other officials implicated in irregularities.