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<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-9/del-rosario-morales-sm.webp" alt="Rodolfo Del Rosario Jr. and Ricardo Morales of PhilHealth" />
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(Rodolfo del Rosario Jr. (left) and Ricardo Morales)
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<p>
Minutes of one of the board meetings of PhilHealth recounted a bitter debate among its officials regarding a resolution asking all officials to tender their courtesy resignations to give then newly-appointed president Ricardo Morales a free hand in probing the anomalies embedded in the agency.
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The resolution was the result of a directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to remove all officials of PhilHealth caught up in anomalies, while other officials will be confined in Malacañang for the duration of the probe.
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Based on the minutes of the meeting, then board member and now presidential legislative assistant Jing Paras bared that officials accused of various offenses were powerful enough to disobey orders from the PhilHealth board:
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Region 4B vice president (VP) Paolo Johann Perez, 
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ARMM VP Khaliquzzman Macabato, 
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Region 7 VP William Chavez, 
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Region 11 RVP Dennis Adre, 
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Region 12 RVP Miriam Grace Pamatong, 
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Region 10 VP Masiding Alonto and 
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former corporate secretary Vallerie Hollero 
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Paras was quoted in the minutes:
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"They have disobeyed orders of reassignment and even went to the Speaker of the House." 
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Despite the clear directive of Mr. Duterte, the board based on the minutes was helpless in implementing the order due to a supposed provision of the Civil Service law when even irregularities were apparent.
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PhilHealth SVP for legal affairs Rodolfo del Rosario Jr., who was thoroughly grilled at the House of Representatives last Thursday, August 20, 2020, was accused of sitting on 12,000 cases, including those involving the WellMed scam in which dead individuals supposedly filed claims for dialysis treatment.
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The corporate secretary, Jonathan Mangaoang, who is also facing charges, even went to the Office of the Executive Secretary to cite a resolution of the Civil Service Commission "that courtesy resignation of non-presidential appointees is not valid."
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The brazen attempt was in direct contradiction of the President’s order. Apparently, the influential regional officials had it their way since they remain in office until now.
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Morales had good intentions when he started his watch, as the minutes indicated him telling the board that <i>"if there is a move to change management,"</i> it should be done soonest, so that he can prepare for the implementation of the Universal Health Care law, and <i>"fix the image of the corporation and get reforms in place."</i>
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The problem, nonetheless, was that while he indicated favoring the motion for the courtesy resignation of the mafia suspects, he did not aggressively push for it.
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According to the minutes:
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"Meanwhile, the corporate secretary (Mangaoang) sought clarification on the salary grades that will be covered by the motion (for courtesy resignation). In reaction, Undersecretary Paras requested that he be called out of order since he should not be allowed to render his opinion on the matter since he belongs to officers who will be asked to tender their courtesy resignation." 
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Several officials within the board appear to even represent the suspected mafia lords or members to provide them an exit door to safe passage through the use of legal provisions.
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PhilHealth mafia have acquired invincibility that defies even the authority of the President