A petition for review filed by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. in Calabarzon on the disallowance of various benefits received by employees and officials from 2012 to 2013 amounting to P37.495 million has been denied by the Commission on Audit.
COA Chairperson Michael Aguinaldo and Commissioners Jose Fabia and Roland Pondoc on Nov. 22 in a decision said that all PhilHealth officials who approved the payments of benefits, as well as each employee who received them “are jointly and severally obligated to refund the amount so received.”
The officials determined to be liable under the notices of disallowance include regional vice president Alberto Manduriao, fiscal controller IV Feliciana Pastorfide, division Chief Miguel Macalinao, administrative officer Benjie Cuvinar and fiscal controller Erlinda Pronton.
According to the commission, based on the Administrative Code of 1987, every official or employee authorizing or taking part in illegal expenditures shall be liable to the government for the full amount paid or received.
“The obligation to refund the payment received falls upon both those directly responsible, i.e. the approving officers and those who actually received the disallowed benefit,” the COA said.