DISMAYADO ang ilang senador sa naging findings ng Department of Justice sa mga anomalya sa Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) makaraang hindi maisama sa inirekomendang kasuhan si Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

“No Duque? No Del Rosario? I’m dumbfounded! Article 217 of the RPC (Revised Penal Code) is very clear,” saad ni Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.

Naninidigan si Sotto na malinaw sa batas ang pananagutan ni Duque bilang chairman of the board.

“Perhaps the Ombudsman would have a better perspective of the anomalies. Mabuti na lang, the Ombudsman does not rely its investigations on task forces. They have motu propio powers,” dagdag ni Sotto.

Bagama’t welcome para kay Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto ang rekomendasyon, iginiit nitong dapat kasama pa rin si Duque sa mga kakasuhan.

“To me, what is lacking in both Senate and in the DOJ report…is the accountablity of the members of the board itself. Remember it is the board ang nagbabantay dapat ng management ng PhilHealth.

If the board did its job then there should be no problem,” saad ni Recto.

“More investigation should be done by appropriate govt agencies, in this case, it should be the Ombudsman…It is the Ombudsman who will be in the final investigation, and I trust the Ombudsman will do its job properly,” dagdag pa nito.

Sinabi naman ni Senador Kiko Pangilinan na hindi na rin nakagugulat ang rekomendasyon ng task force.

“Duque being unpunished is no longer surprising. Faeldon in both BoC and Bucor, Napeñas in BoC, the Tulfos in DoT, Aquino in the NFA,  Laviña in NIA, Aguirre in the DoJ, Agbayalde and Sinas in the PNP and so many others. And now, Duque in Philhealth,” saad ni Pangilinan.

“The list of corrupt and incompetent untouchables under this Administration is getting longer.

Condoning corruption, illegality and incompetence will only lead to more corruption and incompetence,” dagdag pa nito. (DANG SAMSON-GARCIA)