“Sa tingin, ko may Mafi a-like operation sa housing tulad sa Philhealth. Hindi makakakolekta ang contractor kung hindi approved ng NHA. Sa tingin, ko may sabwatan. Bakit natin babayaran kung substandard at hindi maayos ang pagkagawa,” the senator said.
He said that they conducted a second Senate hearing on anomalies on the state of housing for victims of typhoons Yolanda, Pablo and Sendong, and the Zamboanga siege. He said the projects should have been finished after five to six years have passed.
The senator said the common problems on housing were being substandard, location (malayo sa kabihasnan) and some in danger zones and in flood-prone and landslide- prone areas.
“Biktima na ng dilubyong kalamidad, ililipat pa sa tirahan na dilikado rin,” Ejercito said.
On the universal health care that he sponsored, he said he was excited of its passage by July or August this year. He said it will increase to 100 percent the PhilHealth coverage and will improve hospital and health facilities.
But he said that lately, he discovered that PhilHhealth, the agency to implement universal health care, does not have good financial standing.
“Ikinagulat ko at tinitingan namin kung saan nagmumula ang problema sa finances ng PhilHealth,” he said.
Ejercito suspected that PhilHealth’s financial problem was due to mismanagement caused by fraudulent claims and collection.
“May natisod pa akong dahilan na hindi ko sukat akalain. Na-divert ang P10-billion fund na intended sa benefits ng Expanded Senior Citizens Act,” he said.
He said that P10 billion was appropriated by Congress in 2015 to expand the benefits of senior citizens.
Previous officials of PhilHealth, however, sort of waived the amount, saying the agency can help the senior citizens out of its own fund, Ejercito said.
The senator said the amount was transferred to the Department of Health and used for infrastructure and other projects.
“Naserbisyuhan ng Phil- Health ang senior citizens pero kumain ito sa reserve fund nila at ito ang nakabigat sa financial standing ng Phil- Health,” Ejercito said.
The senator was in Balanga City to administer the oath of office to elected village officials in 25 barangays in the city and 19 other barangays of Pilar, Bataan.
