Rep. Wilbert T. Lee of AGRI party-list group on Monday welcomed the arrest order issued by the Valenzuela Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 109 against officials of Allied Care Experts (ACE) Medical Hospital in Valenzuela City who were allegedly involved with “palit-ulo” scheme.
“Palit-ulo” is the illegal hospital detention of relatives of deceased patients and the refusal to release the death certificate and other relevant medical documents due to unsettled bills of the patient, forcing those detained to find a replacement before they are allowed to leave the premises of the hospital.
Lee, who earlier filed House Resolution 1674 to probe “palit-ulo,” said the arrest order was a “good development.”
“Someone should be held accountable immediately in this demonic practice so this has to stop and never happen again. Those responsible should be imprisoned. Think about it: a person whose loved one has died and is mourning and yet put the dead relative under hospital arrest,” Lee said.
In his House Resolution, Lee pointed out that those involved in this practice are criminally liable for Serious Illegal Detention and Slight Illegal Detention under the Revised Penal Code.
He further reiterated the need for a comprehensive and in-depth investigation on the issue as the local government of Valenzuela recently presented two more victims of the “palit-ulo” scheme in the same hospital.
“Congress should immediately investigate this illegal practice to find out how long it has been going on and how many other hospitals are doing it. Probably, there are many more unreported cases related to this, and we hope that other victims will come forward to express their experience,” the lawmaker said.
Lee, a staunch health advocate, persistently pushed for the 30 percent increase in Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) benefits which took effect on February 14.
Lee also advocated for unlimited coverage for dialysis, cancer treatment, heart bypass surgery, and other diagnostic tests and preventive measures, as well as the effective implementation of the “No Balance Billing” with the ultimate goal of freeing our countrymen from out-of-pocket medical expenses.
“With the myriad challenges that our countrymen face such as the unabated high prices of goods, the Filipino people deserve better services. That’s why we should demand better,” he added.
