THE Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) criticized the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) for its supposed “misuse” of funds to pay for the political television advertisements of an administration senatorial candidate.
“We must stress that PhilHealth’s governing board has a fiduciary duty to conserve the hard-earned contributions of workers for current and future benefit payments,” said TUCP president and former Senator Ernesto Herrera.
Herrera was reacting to PhilHealth’s decision to sponsor a series of ads featuring former Akbayan party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros, who is considered as one of LP’s senatorial candidates.
The labor group claimed that the TV ads cost at least P442,000 plus value-added tax every time it is aired for 30 seconds.
Hontiveros took her oath of office as PhilHealth board member only last June 30.
“The members of the board of directors (of PhilHealth), even if they are all political appointees, are supposed to insulate the state-run insurer and its funds from partisan political activity,” Herrera said.
He said the money spent by Philhealth for the TV ads would have been better spent to help upgrade the health insurance benefits of its members, especially minimum wage workers and salaried employees.
All employees are mandated by law to contribute up to P437.50 per month to PhilHealth, excluding the employer’s share. Overseas Filipino workers as well as self-employed members are required to pay an annual premium of P2,400 to P3,600.
The 15-member PhilHealth board has nine ex-officio members plus six political appointees of Malacañang.
The nine ex-officio members are Secretaries Janette Garin, Mar Roxas, Corazon Soliman, Rosalinda Baldoz, and Cesar Purisima, plus Social Security System president Emilio De Quiros Jr., Government Service Insurance System president Robert Vergara, Philhealth president Alex Padilla, and a representative of the National Anti-Poverty Commission.
Besides Hontiveros, the six political appointees in Philhealth’s board are Alexander Ayco (the family doctor of the Aquinos), Francisco Vicente Lopez, Eddie Dorotan, Jane M. N. Sta. Ana, and a still-to-be-named independent director of the Monetary Board. –Vito Barcelo, Manila Standard Today
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