SENATOR Panfilo Lacson yesterday stressed that the implementation of the Universal Healthcare (UHC) law should still get the full support of Congress despite allegations of corruption within the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
“Despite the shameless corruption in PhilHealth, the 2021 Universal Health Care budget deserves full support from Congress,” Lacson said.
“But we can make our healthcare program more meaningful by immediately putting in jail all those who stole our money, directly or otherwise,” he added.
The House of Representatives has begun deliberations on the proposed P4.506 trillion 2021 national budget, which is 9.9 percent bigger than the 2020 budget while the Senate is set to start hearings this week.
On the proposed budget, PhilHealth, which is tasked to implement the UHC, is expected to receive P71.4 billion.
The Senate, acting as Committee of the Whole, conducted investigations into alleged irregularities in Philhealth.
The Committee recently recommended the filing of criminal charges against several officials, including Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, over the allegedly illegal release of billions of funds under the agency’s Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM).
