Dante Gierran

In this Filipino name, the middle name or maternal family name is A. and the surname or paternal family name is Gierran.
Dante Gierran
Director of the National Bureau of Investigation
In office
July 1, 2016 – February 2020
PresidentRodrigo Duterte
Preceded byVirgilio Mendez
Chief Executive Officer and President of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation
In office
September 17, 2016 – 2022
PresidentRodrigo Duterte
Preceded byRicardo Morales
Personal details
BornDante A. Gierran
February 1955 (age 71)

Dante A. Gierran[1] is a Filipino lawyer and accountant who was the director of the National Bureau of Investigation from 2016 to 2020 and later the president of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation from 2020 to 2022.

Early life and education

Born in February 1955, Dante Gierran attended the Rizal Memorial Colleges in Davao City graduating with an accounting degree in 1978.[2] He also worked with the Tardal Security Guards Service in the 1970s.[3]

In the 1990s, he pursued studies in law attending the University of Mindanao and the International Harvardian University. He obtained his law degree in 1993.[2][3]

Career

Early years

Gierran as a credit investigator and accountant worked for the Manila Banking Corporation from 1979 to 1990. As per Supreme Court records, Gierran joined the bar in May 8, 1997.[3]

National Bureau of Investigation

Gierran first joined the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) as a line agent back in 1990 and was assigned in Manila until 1991. From 1992 to 2001, he was assigned in Davao City, and from 2002 to 2003, Gierran was allocated to Vigan. He later became a training director and served under the office of then-NBI director Nonnatus Rojas.[3]

Gierran also became the NBI regional director for Southern Mindanao from 2013 to 2016.[4][5][6]

Director

When President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office in 2016, Gierran was elevated as director of the NBI.[4][7] He assumed office on July 1, 2016 succeeding Virgilio Mendez.[8]

Under his watch, the NBI led an investigation on the kidnapping and killing of Jee Ick-Joo[9], WellMed, a dialysis clinic, over an alleged "ghost" Philhealth claims, alleged corruption within the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and the Bureau of Corrections, an cases involving the illegal drug trade and figures allegedly linked to it such as Kerwin Espinosa.[10]

In September 2016, self-confessed member of the Davao Death Squad (DDS) Edgar Matobato alleged that Gierran, then an NBI agent, led a 2007 DDS operation in which a man was killed and fed to a crocodile. Gierran denied the accusations. While admitting knowing Matoabato personally, he said he never brought Matobato with him as part of his official duties during his assignment in Davao.[11] In February 2026, the International Criminal Court publicized the list of co-perpetrators in the war on drugs case and Gierran is among them.[6]

Gierran left his post in mid-February 2020 after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65.[12] Duterte gave him a deadline until December 2020 to "clean up" the state-run insurer and has been considering to abolish or privatize it.[13]

Gierran is among the "Davao Boys", a small circle of Duterte's trusted associates, which included law enforcers who were previously assigned to Davao, tasked to implement the nationwide drug war, and afterwards given choice positions in government.[14]

Philhealth

President Rodrigo Duterte announced on August 31, 2016, that he will be appointing Gierran as president and CEO of Philhealth (Philhealth).[15] He succeeded Ricardo Morales who resigned on August 26, 2020, due to health reasons.[16]

Admitting he had no prior knowledge on public health, Gierran stated he was "scared, but not cowed" and was tasked to deal with the corruption issue within the agency.[17][18] The Duterte administration cited his seven years of management experience and a background as a certified public accountant and a lawyer as justification for his appointment.[19][20] The Citizens Urgent Response to End Covid-19 (CURE Covid) said that the "law says the PhilHealth CEO should have seven years experience in public health, management, finance and health economics" and that Gierran's appointment demonstrated Duterte's "lack of understanding of the workings of the state health insurance firm and the chronic problems plaguing it".[21]

Gierran took his oath of office on September 17, 2016.[16] He ordered all officials of Philhealth to tender their courtesy resignations on September 30.[22][23]

The succeeding administration of President Bongbong Marcos, named Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. as acting president and CEO of Philhealth in November 2022.[24]

Personal life

Gierran is a member of the Lex Talionis Fraternitas, which had President Rodrigo Duterte as among its ranks.[3]

References

  1. ^ Caliwan, Christopher Lloyd (October 4, 2017). "Israeli bizman faces raps for illegal trading". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  2. ^ a b Limos, Mario Alvaro. "Who Is Dante Gierran, PhilHealth's New Top Honcho?". Esquiremag.ph. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Who is Dante Gierran, Duterte's choice for PhilHealth chief?". Rappler. September 1, 2020. Archived from the original on September 2, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  4. ^ a b "Rody finalizes Cabinet". The Philippine Star. June 1, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  5. ^ Pilapil, John Kevin (June 26, 2014). "Minor lured with big money for sex". SunStar Publishing Inc. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  6. ^ a b Santos, Jamil (February 14, 2026). "Who are Duterte's alleged co-perpetrators named by ICC?". GMA News Online. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  7. ^ "The Duterte Cabinet: All the President's men". ABS-CBN News. May 22, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  8. ^ "Aguirre at NBI turnover rites". GMA News. July 1, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  9. ^ Torres-Tupas, Tetch (February 2, 2017). "4 NBI execs relieved amid probe on Korean's kidnap-slay". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  10. ^ Lagrimas, Nicole-Ann (September 1, 2020). "Who is Dante Gierran, the next PhilHealth chief?". GMA News. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  11. ^ Placido, Dharel (September 15, 2016). "Duterte's NBI chief linked to slay of man 'fed to crocodile'". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  12. ^ Gita-Carlos, Ruth Abbey (February 26, 2020). "Palace names new NBI officer-in-charge". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  13. ^ Merez, Arianne (September 17, 2020). "Duterte gives new PhilHealth chief until December to fix corruption mess". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  14. ^ Ranada, Pia (July 9, 2021). "The Davao Boys are alright". Rappler. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  15. ^ Villamor-Ilano, Marites (August 31, 2020). "Former NBI director appointed as new PhilHealth chief". SunStar. SunStar Publishing Inc. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  16. ^ a b "Gierran takes oath of office, now PhilHealth chief" (PDF). PhilHealth. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  17. ^ Musico, Jelly (September 1, 2020). "Ex-NBI director Gierran named new PhilHealth chief". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  18. ^ "New PhilHealth chief says he is 'scared, but not cowed', asks Filipinos for 'a chance'". ABS-CBN News. September 1, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  19. ^ Moya, Jove (September 1, 2020). "Palace defends appointment of former NBI chief to PhilHealth". SunStar. SunStar Publishing Inc. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  20. ^ Merez, Arianne (September 1, 2020). "Palace says crime investigator Dante Gierran 'best choice' to lead PhilHealth". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  21. ^ Ellao, Janess Ann J. (September 3, 2020). "New Philhealth chief may put people's lives in peril – community doc". Bulatlat. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  22. ^ Porcalla, Delon; Regalado, Edith (October 2, 2020). "All top PhilHealth execs ordered to resign". Philstar.com. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  23. ^ "Tiklop kay Gierran: 43 PhilHealth exec bumitiw, nagretiro" [Folds to Gierran: 43 PhilHealth exec resign, retire]. Abante (in Filipino). October 9, 2020. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  24. ^ Galvez, Daphne (November 24, 2022). "Marcos names Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. as acting PhilHealth chief". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
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