MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III has appointed Alexander Padilla, chief government peace negotiator for the National Democratic Front-Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army, as head of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said the President named Padilla as a member of the board of directors of PhilHealth and approved his nomination as the next president and chief executive officer of the agency.
Padilla, a former undersecretary of the Department of Health (DOH) from May 2003 to November 2010, will assume the post vacated by Eduardo Banzon who resigned in January.
Valte said Padilla is "competent" to lead his new agency due to his track record in the DOH.
"Undersecretary Padilla is originally from the DOH and he’s only been seconded to the panel," she said in a televised press briefing.
"With the appointment, there should be no problem in how he (Padilla) manages to juggle his tasks. His record in the past will show that he has been able to do multiple tasks in different areas," she added.