Wednesday, January 15, 2014

PhilHealth chief Will not return P1.65B bonuses despite COA order


The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) President Alexander Padilla said that the distribution of the P1.65 billion worth of bonuses and incentives to its employees in 2012 are legal and only a court ruling could prove otherwise. This despite of the Commission on Audit (COA) order for 31 government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) including PhilHealth to return the bonuses that amount to P2.313 billion.

COA’s annual financial report that was released last December said that these GOCCs have released “bonus(es), allowances and benefits to the board of directors and employees without or in excess of legal basis or proper authority.”

PhilHealth has the biggest bonus in 2012 next with Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) with P216 million.

PhilHealth also released its bonuses to employees in 2013 amounting to P1.448 billion despite the COA’s notice.

Other GOCCs ordered by the COA to refund the government their 2012 bonuses in millions of pesos are Region 7 water districts, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Philippine Economic Zone Authority, Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-ibig), Butuan City Water District, Development Academy of the Philippines, Philippine National Oil Co. Exploration Corp., and Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority.

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