CHR demands transparency on PhilHealth corruption probe
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is demanding transparency in the multiple investigations being conducted on allegations of corruption in the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

CHR spokesperson Atty. Jacqueline Ann de Guia said that corruption in all of its forms negatively impacts the enjoyment of all human rights.
"With corruption in the health sector in the middle of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) health crisis, the government's obligation to care for its constituents was affected and the 'legitimacy of leaders' is damaged," she added.
"These alleged irregularities undermine the State’s human rights commitment to maximize available resources for the progressive realization of rights, as recognized in Article 2 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights," De Guia said.
She added that an immediate and independent investigation on the health agency is needed as an effort to curb corruption, and this is why the CHR is backing the ongoing probe by the Senate, the Office of the President, and the Commission on Audit.
"While we appreciate the commitment of PhilHealth to exhaust all its legal measures against the perpetrators of the alleged malicious acts, we demand transparency and assurance that public funds entrusted to the corporation are properly disbursed and accounted for," De Guia said.
If people turn a blind eye on corrupt activities, De Guia said they will only be enabling exploitation and injustice.
"The fight against corruption is central to the struggle for human rights," she said, adding that the Commission "strongly underscores the duty of the state to protect and fulfill its human right obligations, and to deliver relevant services including a functioning judiciary, law enforcement, health, and other basic social services."