Unlike their boss, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Philhealth president/CEO Dante Gierran throw tantrums and emotional outbursts (because they lack operational knowledge of the agencies they lead) instead of answering questions hurled by lawmakers and explaining them clearly and precisely.
UNLIKE their boss, the president, who fights his detractors and critics with harsh words and expletives, his official family (including those in government agencies) weep when attacked.
And they lash at their critics with words like “winarak niyo kami” or “bugbog na po kami.”
First it was Health Secretary Francisco Duque III who was being investigated for the P67 billion deficiencies in the COVID-19 funds reported by the Commission on Audit that told the Senate Blue Ribbon committee that “winarak niyo kami” referring to CoA’s findings, which he was hard-put to explain so he resorted to boy-like tantrums.
Next came Philippine Health Insurance Corp.(an agency also under DoH) chief Dante Gierran who became emotional during a House hearing on unpaid claims to hospitals last Thursday.
"Ito, sasabihin ko na po, bugbog na po kami (I'm just going to say this, we're beaten) I opened my heart, bugbog na po kami (we're already beaten)," Gierran said as lawmakers grilled him about controversies hounding PhilHealth.
"It's unfair, Mr. Chair, to say that it's all our fault. The TSPC, it's just a policy suspending payment of claims of hospitals that are under investigation," Gierran added in a mix of English and Filipino.
Duque finds a defender
But Duque was fortunate enough that the President defended him and took the cudgels for him when the Chief Executive lambasted the Commission on Audit for making public (instead of reporting directly to him and to Congress) the deficiencies and discrepancies they notice.
In fairness to COA, it did not publish or circulate its findings but the media browsed through its website and found the report (which is mandated of them to post in their site in keeping with the Freedom of Information Act and the administration’s commitment to transparency).
In fact, President Duterte, at one point, said he would not accept (as he did not accept Duque’s resignation twice before) the resignation letter of Duque even if he would submit one now. He said Duque is not guilty of anything.
But when pressured by the public about Duque, the President backtracked and said if Duque voluntarily resigns, he would accept it.
Will Gierran have one also?
The PhilHealth chief was referring to the agency's new policy on claims payment – PhilHealth Circular No. 2021-0013 or the temporary suspension of payment of claims (TSPC) – that was released on August 20. Lawmakers had already sought a review of the said policy.
"There was a miscommunication in releasing a document of stop payment to hospitals. I was just saying the sentiments of the private hospitals because they think they were prejudged. Because of that miscommunication, the situation is worsening," Batangas 5th District Representative Marvey Mariño said.
Following PhilHealth's announcement of the new circular, hospital groups said that they were "disengaging" from PhilHealth. This means that PhilHealth members cannot avail of benefits when they go to their member hospitals "for the meantime."
Gierran, who was appointed to Philhealth in September 2020 after the resignation of president/CEO (retired BGen.) Ricardo Morales had admitted he knew nothing about PhilHealth operations, said that his family and friends had been affected by the public condemnation he and PhilHealth are getting.
"When I came, hindi po ako sanay dito, Mr. Chair. Sa NBI, maganda po ang trabaho namin doon. Hindi ako binugbog ng mga komentaryo doon. Dito kawawa talaga. 'Yung pamliya ko, mga kaibigan ko," a visibly emotional Gierran said.
He was asked by the President to lead PhilHealth at the height of corruption controversies that hounded the state health insurer.
Gierran, a former director of the National Bureau of Investigation, also hardly knows anything about public health. What he knows, according to him, is financial management, the law, insurance, and investigation.
No excuse
During the hearing, AAMBIS-OWA Representative Sharon Garin said that there's no excuse for the mismanagement of the state health insurer.
"It's not enough to say, 'It's my fault.' We fight hard to increase taxes just for you pero walang nangyayari (but nothing's happening)," she said.
Garin went on to say that hospitals are in financial distress because PhilHealth owes them billions.
"Why are hospitals threatening to close? Because you have not paid them," she said.
P21.1 billion
Gierran during the hearing said that the state health insurer owes hospitals some P21.1 billion.
In 2020, as the Philippines battled the coronavirus pandemic, lawmakers held marathon investigative hearings into alleged rampant corruption in PhilHealth.
Thorrsson Montes Keith, who resigned as PhilHealth anti-fraud legal officer in late July 2020, alleged that members of PhilHealth's executive committee "misspent or pocketed" P15 billion.
It took PhilHealth seven months to approve a circular on COVID-19 benefit packages for patients needing hospitalization. (With report from Rappler)
Tags: #tantrums, #weepingboys, #questionsaboutfunds, #economy