PINAIIMBESTIGAHAN ni Senador Leila De Lima si Senador Richard Gordon dahil sa umano’y conflict of interest bilang senador at chairman ng Philippine Red Cross (PRC).
Giit ni De Lima, dapat magpaliwanag si Gordon, chairman ng PRC at kasalukuyang pinuno ng Senate Blue Ribbon Committee kaugnay ng transaksyon ng PRC sa maanomalyang PhilHealth controversy.
“For the sake of the Senate and the Philippine Red Cross, Sen. Richard Gordon should answer the allegations of impropriety against him, in his capacity as Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chair vis-à-vis as Senator and Chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee,” ani De Lima.
“The badges of irregularities are undeniable. Firstly, Sen. Gordon, in his capacity as Blue Ribbon Committee Chair, is still investigating PhilHealth when the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
between PRC and PhilHealth was negotiated and signed. Sen. Gordon himself signed the MOA. That is a clear conflict of interest,” dagdag pa ng nakadetineng senador.
Idinagdag pa ni De Lima na ang PhilHealth, bilang government-owned and controlled corporation, ay hindi dapat pumapasok sa kasunduan o pagpapatupad ng advance payments sa Interim
Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM) na tahasang paglabag sa batas.
“Yet, it was included in the MOA. In fact, One Hundred Million Pesos was paid upfront upon execution of the MOA. The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act did not repeal or suspend the provisions of the State
Auditing Code which prohibits payment of advances without prior approval of the President,” giit ng senador.
Sa ilalim ng PhilHealth Circular 2020-0007, ang IRM ay limitado sa Health Care Institutions (HCIs) na direktang tinamaan ng karamdaman at walang kinalaman ang PRC.
Binanggit din aniya ito ni dating PhilHealth executive Atty. Rodolfo del Rosario, Jr. na ang nasabing kasunduan sa PRC ay hindi kasama ang IRM. (NOEL ABUEL)
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