Give PhilHealth a chance to explain

By Leonardo Micua

 

THERE have been media reports that PhilHealth Region 1 located along De Venecia Highway in Barangay Lucao is under close watch by the National Bureau of Investigation District office in Dagupan City 24/7 because of suspicions that rainwater was made to leak from the ceiling of a building it is renting to destroy incriminating documents and data stored in computers related to the ongoing investigations at the Senate and the House of Representatives.

But the speculations had no basis, it was a case of force majeur.

There was a heavy downpour in the afternoon of August 19 in Dagupan City. My source said the rainwater overflowed from the roof’s gutter when the strainer leading to the downspout was clogged by a piece of cloth.  The incident reportedly soaked some documents and probably a few computers and the situation quickly spawned wild speculations that the leak on the ceiling was intentional, to destroy damning evidence against some high officials being implicated in the multi-billion scandal rocking PhilHealth today.

Initially, we gathered that NBI agents, in coordination with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the Dagupan police, rushed to the office of PhilHealth Region 1 on the night of August 19 after it allegedly received a tip that armed men barged inside with the intent of destroying the incriminating evidence against some PhilHealth officials being investigated by Congress.

It turns out that it was actually the Senate that asked the Department of Justice to direct the NBI to look into PhilHealth Region 1 office after being alerted by a post on social media that showed water dripped from the ceiling and drenched the work area of officials and employees of PhilHealth Region 1.

But as pointed out by PhilHealth Region 1 Vice President Alberto Manduriao in his own post on social media, there was nothing sinister happening, nor a cover up being done, Moreover, no important document was damaged as these were safely stored in steel cabinets. As to their computers and their servers, they were safely secured.

At the same time, Mr. Manduriao assured the full cooperation of his office to the NBI and other investigating bodies to help ascertain the truth behind the alleged mess at PhilHealth.

Before jumping the gun on PhilHealth’s staff, let’s give them and their office the benefit of the doubt.

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Despite a little delay in the completion of projects caused by the community quarantine, the construction of flood control projects in Dagupan City and other parts of the 4th District through the initiative of Congressman Toff de Venecia now on high gear. The finishing touches on the riverbank protection projects along the Sinucalan River, particularly along Barangay 2 & 3 and the riverbank protection project from Perez Boulevard to Bacayao Sur are already being done.

 Already completed is the flood control project from Poblacion Oeste to Barangay 1 that Cong. Toff started when ex-Mayor Belen Fernandez was still at the helm. For now, it is being used as an alternate road for tricycles delivering fish to be sold at the Magsaysay Fish Market.

 On the left side of the Quintos Bridge, near the Punch office, passersby can easily see a river bank forming on that side of the Pantal River. This is another project initiated by the good congressman that was started soon as the Enhanced Community Quarantine was lifted. This flood control project will be a boon to residents of Barangay Herrero-Perez East.

 What was completed before the pandemic started was the river protection projects in Barangay Bolosan that used steel plates to ensure the safety of the whole community from destructive floods. (The project, located on right side of the Bolosan Bridge, was constructed by the company owned by Engr. Robert Matias).

 Meanwhile, Cong. Toff is already coordinating with the DPWH to ensure the speedy completion of the Bued River bank protection project from Barangay Binday to Anonang in San Fabian. 

 In contrast, the Dagupan City government under Mayor Brian Lim has only started upgrading the low-lying Galvan Street, from A.B. Fernandez Avenue to Nueva Street after more than one and a half year in office. His promise to rehabilitate Mariposa Creek and to install pumping stations to draw out standing rainwater and tidal water from flooded streets, remain a promise.

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