PhilHealth perks aboveboard, legal

This is in response to the letter of Bernardo Peralta which came out in the Inquirer on Nov. 17, 2014.

As regards the issue of allowances and bonuses granted to our employees, we maintain our stand that the release of these incentives was completely aboveboard and had legal basis. We have duly addressed this issue in several media briefings in early 2014, and have provided the Commission on Audit with our official reply as well. Rest assured that PhilHealth remains a responsible corporate citizen and conducts its affairs accordingly.
Allow us to also correct Peralta’s statement that the PhilHealth president and CEO is a lady—our president and CEO is Alexander A. Padilla, and he holds office in Pasig City.

We would be glad to sit down with Peralta to discuss this and other PhilHealth matters that he may be interested in. We shall advise him if an official trip to Cebu City is upcoming.

—ISRAEL FRANCIS
A. PARGAS, MD,
OIC-vice president, Corporate Affairs Group, PhilHealth