A joint congressional panel cited in contempt and ordered a four-day detention of a Philippine Health Insurance Corp. lawyer for insisting that Philhealth, as a quasi-judicial body, can amend a judicial decision.
Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga moved to cite Pocallan in contempt in apparent displeasure over Pocallan’s defense of his legal opinion on the cases involving the Our Lady of Perpetual Succor Hospital . Under intense grilling from committee members, including Deputy Speaker and SAGIP Partylist Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, Pocallan admitted that he rendered a legal opinion that the Philhealth board is legally justified in ignoring the CA ruling on the issue.
According to Marcoleta, a three-month suspension would have cost OLPSH at least P90 million in unrealized earnings from Philhealth claims.Notwithstanding its court victory, Philhealth decided to amend the penalty it imposed and instead ordered OLPSH to pay a P200,000 fine.