Ex-Philhealth head named DOH assistant secretary

February 17, 2020

The former acting president of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp, (Philhealth), who was  at the center of controversy last year where the agency paid claims of dead kidney patients, was named Assistant Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH), according to a list released by Malacanang on Monday.

President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Roy Ferrer as assistant health secretary.

Philhealth filed 28 counts of misrepresentation and falsification against Well-Med Dialysis and Laboratory Center before courts. Though Duterte expressed trust with Ferrer, he ordered Ferrer to submit his resignation over command responsibility. 

Also included in the list of presidential appointees is former IBC president Katherine De Castro who was baned board of directors of People’s Television Network, Inc. She is also a former tourism undersecretary.

Duterte  formalized the appointment of former Philippine Air Force chief Rozzano Briguez as board of director at the PNOC Exploration Corp. and named Health Undersecretary Enrique Domingo as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) director general.

Domingo replaced Nela Charade Puno who was fired by Duterte in May last year due to corruption allegations.

Lorna Kapunan was appointed as member of the board of trustees of the Cultural Center of the Philippines while Trade Undersecretary Rowel Barba was appointed as director general of the Intellectual Property Office. Ella Dionisio/DMS