PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Roy Ferrer as acting president and chief executive officer of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), replacing Celestina dela Serna who was mired in controversy over alleged excessive travel expenses and allowances.
On Monday, June 4, Malacañang released Ferrer's appointment paper signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on June 1.
"I am pleased to inform you that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has approved the nomination of Mr. Roy B. Ferrer as acting president and cheif executive officer of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation," Medialdea said in the letter.
Ferrer, who hails from Davao, was a member of the PhilHealth board of directors prior to his new appointment.
In a statement, Ferrer promised to do his best "to be an effective public service and to carry out the mandate of [PhilHealth and President Duterte]."
Duterte reached the decision to replace Dela Serna nearly a month after he made an instruction to look into the latter's travel expenses and allowances.
On May 7, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. confirmed that the President ordered the investigation against Dela Serna, on the basis of Commission on Audit's (COA) memorandum, questioning her supposedly excessive expenses on trips and allowances in 2017.
State auditors revealed that Dela Serna had spent around P627,000 million for her airplane fares between Tagbilaran and Manila, terminal fees, and hotel accommodations since she assumed the post as PhilHealth OIC president on April 10, 2017.
The COA also flagged Dela Serna's allowances worth P143,881, as well as the P152,000-per diem she received for meetings through video conferencing. (VoxPop Philippines)
