An initial investigation conducted by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. management has established that the checks for the premium payments of Accenture Inc. did not reach it, a press release from the firm said.

The checks were instead encashed in at least two branches of Metrobank in Batangas, the press release said.

To ensure non-detection of the irregularity, the supposed premium payments were illegally uploaded into the PhilHealth Treasury Database and posted in the individual accounts of the Accenture employees.

This is to make it appear that their health insurance premium contributions have actually been remitted to the firm, and will therefore make them eligible for benefits availment, the press release said.

The fictitious crediting of premium payments to Accenture, Inc. in PhilHealth’s Treasury and Membership Databases happened from October to December 2010, and from February to September 2011 and involves about P114 million.

However, ongoing investigation found that the initial attempts of these anomalous transactions were started in late 2009, the press release said.

The management continues to conduct in-depth investigations to determine and confirm these observations, it added.

The firm’s administration is filing the necessary administrative charges against five officers/supervisors and personnel of its Information Technology and Management Department, suspected to have been involved or have indirectly contributed to the commission of the anomalous transaction, the press release said.

PhilHealth has also billed Accenture, Inc. for the amount corresponding to the diverted premiums and the amount of availment of their employees for the particular periods, it added.

At the same time, the corporation continues to work closely with the National Bureau of Investigation and with the Anti-Money Laundering Council for the filing of the necessary criminal charges against persons or institutions that will be found guilty of colluding in the transactions.

Metrobank has also coordinated with appropriate authorities as part of their own investigations, the press release said.

“Let me assure our members that we are doing this in the spirit of good governance,” PhilHealth president and chief executive officer, Eduardo Banzon, said in the press release.

“We want to make sure that this will not happen again, that is why we are bent on going after those who are truly accountable,” he also said.*

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