By Benjamin Pulta/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — State investigators are eyeing to cast a wider net to catch officials of private corporations and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) involved in similar scams of bogus claims for treatments to members.
“We will look into similar actions by other hospitals involving other treatments not just (payments for) dialysis treatments,” National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Deputy Director General and spokesman Ferdinand Lavin told reporters Thursday.
Presently detained at the NBI are Dr. Bryan Christopher Sy, co-owner of WellMed Dialysis Center and former employees and supposed whistleblowers, Liezel Santos and Edwin Roberto.
Likewise included for prosecution and at large are Wellmed officials Dr. John Ray Gonzales, medical director; Claro Sy, chairman; Alvin Sy, corporate treasurer; Therese Francesca Tan, purchasing officer; Dick Ong, administration officer; and physicians Dr. Porshia Natividad and Joemie Soriano.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, for his part, said the NBI probe will also include possible liability of PhilHealth officials.
“The NBI is looking into the possibility that certain PhilHealth officials may be charged for violation of the Anti-Graft Law if they knowingly participated in this allegedly fraudulent scheme and benefitted from it,” Guevarra told reporters.
On Monday, the Manila Regional Trial Court rejected the petition for habeas corpus filed by Sy questioning his arrest without warrant at the NBI office.
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