HEALTH SECRETARY Francisco H. Duque III gave assurance that “anti-corruption” measures will be included in the guidelines for the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act amid the ongoing probe on irregularities involving service providers and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

“I have instructed my colleagues at the Department of Health to ensure anti-corruption measures are in place for the implementation of the Universal Health Care as we write the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). This is to highlight the provisions in the UHC Act that were intended to improve the health financing system,” Mr. Duque said in a statement on Thursday.

The UHC, passed into law last Feb. 20, provides that all Filipinos will automatically be PhilHealth members and be able avail of primary health care services.

At the same time, Mr. Duque warned that the government will be looking into other anomalous transactions and make those involved accountable.

“I am warning all health providers and PhilHealth officials in the strongest possible terms: Do not cheat the system nor even attempt to do it…. I will ensure that justice will be served to those who defraud the system,” he said.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday said it will also investigate PhilHealth officials and other medical service providers that are possibly involved in “ghost” claims.

“That is the next phase of the investigation of the NBI. We will go into that plus of course we are not singling out WellMed (WellMed Dialysis and Laboratory Center Corp.). We’re also investigating the claims of the other medical entities,” Deputy Director for Investigation Vicente De Guzman III said in a press conference.

Meanwhile, Malacañang on Thursday confirmed that the members of the PhilHealth Board, whom President Rodrigo R. Duterte asked to resign while an investigation into alleged irregularities in the agency is being conducted, had filed their resignations on June 11.

“Nag-file lahat (Everyone filed),” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo told reporters in a chance interview at the Palace.

Asked if the President has accepted the resignations, he said: “That goes without saying siguro (I suppose).” — Gillian M. Cortez, Vann Marlo M. Villegas, and Arjay L. Balinbin

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