By NICOLE-ANNE C. LAGRIMAS, GMA News
Published January 12, 2021 4:05pm A Department of Justice-led task force has filed before the Office of the Ombudsman another anti-corruption body s findings of alleged anomalies at a regional office of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). The DOJ said Tuesday that it endorsed to the Ombudsman the report of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) containing its investigation into alleged fraudulent membership enrollment and benefit claims at PhilHealth s Regional Office I. Justice Assistant Secretary Neal Bainto said the PACC s investigation uncovered 27 fraudulent claims amounting to around P1.1 million made under a supposedly fake account under the name Pamela Del Rosario.
PhilHealth, private healthcare officials slapped with charges
THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Monday filed new criminal and administrative complaints against officials of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) over alleged irregularities in a financial assistance program for health care institutions hammered by “fortuitous” events like the coronavirus pandemic.
The NBI filed the complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against resigned PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Ricardo C. Morales, among other former and current officials, for alleged violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The respondents also face raps for allegedly misappropriating funds in violation of the National Health Insurance Act of 2013. They also face administrative charges of grave misconduct, gross negligence, and conduct prejudicial to public interest.
Ghana holds maiden disability-inclusion summit
The event was under the theme “Ending Invisibility: Building Standards for Disability Inclusion and Sustainable Post-Covid-19 Ghana”.
The summit, held at the Accra International Conference Centre on December 3, saw the launch of the 8 Commitments Government of Ghana pledged during the 2018 Global Disability Summit on disability-inclusiveness.
The eight commitments of the government of Ghana are: to eliminate stigma and discrimination against persons with disabilities; to promote inclusive education; to ensure routes to economic empowerment of persons with disabilities; to harness technology and innovation to better lives of persons with disabilities; to build disaggregated data on persons with disabilities to inform policy formulation and implementation; to make adequate provisions for women and girls with disabilities on account of double discrimination; mainstream disability into conflict and humanitarian responses; ensure acces