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MANILA, Philippines — A former special adviser for the Department of Health (DOH) and the government’s Covid-19 task force on Monday charged Executive Secretary Ralph Recto with plunder, graft and malversation for ordering state-run companies to divert part of their reserve funds to the national treasury.
Aside from Recto, also charged by Dr. Tony Leachon before the Office of the Ombudsman were Health Secretary and Philippine Health Insurance (PhilHealth) Board Chair Teodoro Herbosa, acting Finance Secretary Frederick Go, former Budget Secretary Rolando Toledo, PhilHealth President and CEO Edwin Mercado, former PhilHealth CEO Emmanuel Ledesma Jr., Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) CEO Roberto Tan and several John and Jane Does representing other PDIC directors and officials.
Recto, for his part, called the plunder complaint against him “nothing but a nuisance and a harassment case.”
As head of the Department of Finance (DOF), Recto ordered the diversion to state coffers of P60 billion from PhilHealth and P107 billion from PDIC in line with a special provision in the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
