PhilHealth raps Leonardia; mayor says opponents out to embarrass him

MANILA, Philippines - Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia was accused of allegedly failing to settle, despite repeated requests, over P5 million in contributions to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and allegedly tampering with thousands of PhilHealth cards for the poor, putting his face and signature on them, documents show.

Because of Leonardia’s alleged failure to settle P5,174,050 with PhilHealth, benefits for 16,965 poor families in Bacolod have been withheld by the agency along with the mayor’s request for additional funds for the new cards issued to his office.

“Please be advised that due to non-payment of the said arrears, the enrolment of the city under the sponsored program was suspended this year. Your constituents, being indigent families who are in need of medical care, can no longer avail of the quality health services being offered by PhilHealth through its accredited facilities. Moreover, the release of your PhilHealth capitation fund was put on hold until the said arrears of the city are fully settled,” Vicel Bracamonte, PhilHealth chief social insurance officer of PhilHealth, said in a letter to Leonardia last June 10.

In two other letters last Jan. 4 and April 11, Bracamonte requested the settlement of the arrears or unpaid balance in the city’s share of PhilHealth premium contributions for 2010. 

For her part, PhilHealth regional vice president Marilyn Geduspan, in a letter to the mayor last July 18, said her staff had repeatedly followed up payment of the obligations but “have not received any feedback.” 

Geduspan also warned Leonardia of tampering with over 6,000 PhilHealth identification cards, which bore his picture and signature.

Leonardia, however, said his political rivals apparently connived with PhilHealth officials to embarrass him.

He expressed surprise how the PhilHealth letters, especially Geduspan’s, were released by the “barkers” of his political enemies to the media when it was clear that these were only meant for him, with a copy furnished PhilHealth president Rey Aquino.

He admitted there have been delays in the city government’s payments to PhilHealth but that the city council has already approved the release of funds to pay for the arrears.

“It happened because of some financial circumstances so we were not able to pay on time, which I’m sure this happens also to other LGUs (local government units),” Leonardia told The STAR.

Meanwhile, Leonardia dismissed the use of the word “tampered” as “uncalled for and even malicious,” saying, “We have been dealing with PhilHealth for a long time and this is the first time that this happened.” 

He said he was out of the country when the PhilHealth ID cards arrived and his staff took it upon themselves to stick his picture and signature on the cards as was done in the past.

“This was done in good faith because my staff took the initiative of putting my picture. I was not even around when those cards were distributed. I did not even see those cards until they became an issue,” he said.