Senate panel: PhilHealth regional exec received ‘lap dance’ during surprise birthday party in office
A Senate panel report revealed that a regional vice president of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) was gifted with a scantily dressed female dancer who provocatively danced in front of him during a surprise birthday party.
Senator Richard Gordon on Tuesday revealed this as part of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee report on its investigation into alleged fraud within PhilHealth.
The investigation by Gordon’s panel was conducted in 2019 and is separate from the probe that the Senate Committee of the Whole held in August this year.
Gordon’s committee was able to source a video which showed PhilHealth Regional Vice President for Region 4-B Paolo Johann Perez apparently enjoying the performance of a female dancer.
The date of the event in the video was not established, but Gordon said it happened during office hours.
The video shows Perez being presented with an enormous box. It was later revealed that inside the box was a girl stripped down to her underwear. The PhilHealth official received a lap dance from the performer as his colleagues looked on. The Senate report described the environment as akin to a nightclub.
The senator raised the same issue in a hearing by the Senate Committee of the Whole hearing last August 18. Perez, who virtually participated in the hearing, denied the senator’s claims and claimed that the performer was only hired to sing.
He added that the birthday event was held during lunch break.
“I knew nothing about it because it was my birthday. It came as a surprise to me,” Perez said, adding that he stopped the program and asked his staff to just partake of the food that was prepared for the party.
Senator Richard Gordon on Tuesday revealed this as part of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee report on its investigation into alleged fraud within PhilHealth.
The investigation by Gordon’s panel was conducted in 2019 and is separate from the probe that the Senate Committee of the Whole held in August this year.
Gordon’s committee was able to source a video which showed PhilHealth Regional Vice President for Region 4-B Paolo Johann Perez apparently enjoying the performance of a female dancer.
The date of the event in the video was not established, but Gordon said it happened during office hours.
The video shows Perez being presented with an enormous box. It was later revealed that inside the box was a girl stripped down to her underwear. The PhilHealth official received a lap dance from the performer as his colleagues looked on. The Senate report described the environment as akin to a nightclub.
The senator raised the same issue in a hearing by the Senate Committee of the Whole hearing last August 18. Perez, who virtually participated in the hearing, denied the senator’s claims and claimed that the performer was only hired to sing.
He added that the birthday event was held during lunch break.
“I knew nothing about it because it was my birthday. It came as a surprise to me,” Perez said, adding that he stopped the program and asked his staff to just partake of the food that was prepared for the party.
