MANILA, Philippines 鈥� 鈥淔or the life of me, I cannot really find a good reason to prosecute an innocent man,鈥� President Rodrigo Duterte said in a taped speech aired on Monday night.
He was referring to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, who had been linked to alleged irregularities in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth)
鈥淢ine is to not really prosecute just for the sake of somebody being prosecuted. My job is to see to it that the rule of law 鈥攖he rules for or against a person 鈥� are followed,鈥� the President added.
He said he gone through the initial findings of the multi-agency task force he had created to go after officials of the state insurance firm who allegedly misused billions of pesos in COVID-19 response funds.
But he could not find probable cause to indict Duque, who as secretary of the Department of Health also serves as chair of the PhilHealth board.
鈥淚鈥檓 a lawyer and I know what is probable cause and prima facie [evidence],鈥� Duterte said, speaking partly in Filipino. 鈥淭hese are two phrases that are important before you file cases in court. Problem is, I have reviewed [the report] 鈥� a cursory reading maybe 鈥� and I have yet to find what they鈥檙e saying that Duque would be sued because he did something wrong.鈥�
[The original phrasing in Filipino was 鈥渄ahil may kasalanan.鈥漖
Task Force PhilHealth has recommended the filing of graft charges against several PhilHealth officials, including Ricardo Morales, who had resigned as its president and CEO.
It only recommended a 鈥渟trong admonition鈥� for Duque and other members of the PhilHealth board for 鈥渢he grave consequence鈥� of their action or inaction on the state-run insurer鈥檚 funds.
But Sen. Panfilo Lacson believes that the task force has found 鈥渆nough evidence鈥� to indict Duque.
He said that Duque, along with resigned PhilHealth senior vice president Rodolfo del Rosario Jr. and the others, could be included in the next batch of cases that the task force would recommend to the Office of the Ombudsman.
鈥淚n fact, Senate President [Vicente] Sotto [III] has it on good information that the task force has enough evidence against the others not initially charged, specifically Secretary Duque,鈥� Lacson told the Inquirer.
He said the 鈥渋nside information鈥� was given to the Senate President by a 鈥渢rusted source鈥� in the task force.
Duterte created the task force to probe PhilHealth officials over the corruption claims that were unearthed during recent congressional inquiries.
Among allegations of corruption raised were the procurement of alleged overpriced IT equipment; a supposedly questionable release of funds under the corporation鈥檚 Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM); and the alleged manipulation of the corporation鈥檚 financial status.
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