Manila Bulletin
Ex-PhilHealth official bares ‘questionable’ P9-M fund transfer
A former PhilHealth anti-fraud officer, Thorsson Montes Keith, alleged that the PhilHealth Region II Office wrongly credited P9.7 million to the Balanga Rural Bank in Bataan.
Keith discovered multiple transactions for the payment of PhilHealth benefit claims over 12 consecutive periods in May 2019, totaling P9,705,332.
He stated that these multiple transactions suggest a deliberate intent to defraud the government through embezzlement, rather than an accidental error.
PhilHealth officials from both Region II and the central office agreed to pay P49,123 to the bank as compensation for the inconvenience after initially refusing to return the money.
Keith questioned the explanation of error, noting that Region II typically lacks the authority and access to banks located in other regions, such as Region III where Balanga Rural Bank is situated.
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Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque found the testimony of former PhilHealth anti-fraud legal officer Thorsson Montes Keith convincing, alleging that a "mafia" within the agency may have stolen approximately P15 billion.
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PhilHealth lost at least P2 billion due to fraud in its Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM) program, which distributed over P14 billion to hospitals for COVID-19 operations.
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Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) president and CEO Ricardo Morales estimates that P10.2 billion was lost to fraud in 2019, a figure that could double by next year if unaddressed.
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The Makabayan Bloc and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) are demanding the resignation of PhilHealth President Ricardo Morales and other officials due to alleged P15 billion fund irregularities.
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Anakalusugan party-list Representative Mike Defensor has called for plunder charges against PhilHealth officials implicated in an alleged "mafia" scheme.
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