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RAMA, OPPUS |
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The
rift between City Hall's executive and legislative officials
threatens to widen as the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP)
is expected to issue summons today for the city health
officer and Medical Mission Group Hospital (Coop Hospital)
in its probe on overcharging of hospitalization claims.
The
SP committee on public accountability, chaired by Kag.
Anne Mariquit Oppus, agreed in a meeting last Monday
to get to the bottom of the reported anomalous Blue
Card claims, once and for all,
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by
hearing testimonies directly from City Health Officer Dr. Antonio
Porticos and Medical Mission Group Hospital and Health Services
Cooperative (Coop Hospital) administrator Dr. Cirilo Jalad and
legal counsel Atty. Eliseo Labaria.
In
its session this morning, the SP is expected to approve the
recommendation of Oppus' committee and will request Porticos
and the Coop Hospital officials to shed light on the controversy.
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During
an interview over dyRD's "Inyong Alagad" yesterday,
Oppus said marathon sessions of the Blue Card probe
will start Friday.
Kag.
Zenaido Rama said in a separate interview that they
are conducting the probe even with the city mayor's
task force findings of an institutionalized padding
of claims at the Coop Hospital.
According
to Rama, the task force finding has not removed doubts
from the public that there are City Hall employees involved
in the Blue Card padding of claims.
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Since
there have been accusations that at least four city employees
are involved, an independent inquiry by the SP has to be done,
Rama said.
He
added that the task force finding is now "being peddled"
to clear those at City Hall who could be involved in the irregularities.
P1.5-MILLION
DAMAGES
Until
yesterday, the city government has yet to get the answer from
Coop Hospital management regarding the compensation and damages
being asked by City Hall for the fraudulent claims.
According
to the task force investigation report, based on the percentage
level of fraudulent claims made by Coop Hospital, the city
should collect P1.5-million.
Of
the P1.8-million claimed by Blue Card beneficiaries confined
at the Coop Hospital, the task force report bared about 83%
were fraudulent.
However,
the collection of damages does not clear the hospital from
criminal liabilities for fraud.
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