WE AGREE with the “conclusion” drawn by lawmakers after last week’s “grilling” of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) president, retired Phil. Army general, Ricardo Morales, neatly summed up by Sen. Panfilo Lacson: either Morales was “duped” or “complicit” in the (still) ongoing corruption in the agency.
In our own tongue, kung hindi siya “tanga,” “kasabwat” siya ng mga korap sa PhilHealth.
The description is “harsh,” indeed, but heck, what can one do under the circumstances?
Morales, by his own admission during last week’s Senate hearing, on the questioning of Sen. Grace Poe, said he got only a single marching order from Pres. Duterte when he was appointed to the post last year: to “clean up” the corruption at PhilHealth.
Remember that at just about the same time last year, the agency is reeling from corruption allegations that include bogus payment claims and even payments for dialysis services—involving dead persons.
And President Duterte, looking for a true ‘knight in shining armor’ to rescue PhilHealth not only from distress but also from the deep s*** of scandals that its officials have commendably put it, may have been dazzled by the glitter of Morales’ reputation as one “incorruptible” and “principled” military officer.
And why not? Back when he was still an aide to First Lady Imelda Marcos, Morales, at great risk to his life, secretly joined the RAM—Reform the AFP Movement—which claimed to have been revolted by the corruption of the Marcos administration as among the reasons why it decided to break away from the military “chain of command.”
Morales too, was also said to have “festered” the AFP command over the case of then AFP comptroller, MGen. Carlos Garcia, whose “dipping” into the AFP’s funds led to his downfall and exposure as one corrupt military official after his son was caught entering the US mainland in 2004 with US$100,000 in cash.
But the glitter of his past reputation appears to have been burnished brass, not gold, as we have seen during last week’s Senate investigation.
When asked by Sen. Grace Poe what has he done to comply with the President’s single order to weed out corruption after one year in office, Morales had nothing to show for it, really.
And how can he claim to be taking to heart seriously the President’s directive when he even promoted PhilHealth officials implicated in the scandal investigated by the Senate last year, as pointed out by Sen. Francis Tolentino.
His excuse that he “did not know” they were involved, simply does not hold water. What is he reading anyway? Romantic novels?
But okay. Let us not jump ahead into concluding that Morales is “complicit” in the shenanigans at PhilHealth. After all, he has a reputation to protect.
Still, no matter how people describe him now, Morales has become a liability to Pres. Duterte, especially during this period of pandemic when everyone can see the heavy burden of leadership written all over his face.
We assume that Morales is still possessed by that one virtue present in all upright persons: Delicadeza.
Morales should use it. Now.