22 hours Ago By Kaycee Valmonte
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rapplerAds.displayAd( "mobile-middle-1" );MANILA, Philippines – It may take awhile before the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will get its funds back if the Supreme Court does order its return.“If the government were to tell the executive to return the money, we will include that in the National Expenditure Program for 2026,” Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said on Wednesday, April 2, after Supreme Court Associate Justice Ricardo Rosario asked about the impact of such a ruling.
“But having said that, assuming if the ruling were for 2025, that will add a fiscal pressure to our deficit and that would entail us not hitting our deficit targets this year and if we miss that, then we may not attain our coveted credit rating upgrade that we foresee in the next 18 months.”The Supreme Court is on the fourth day of oral arguments on the P89.9 billion PhilHealth fund transfer.
Discussions focused more on the provisions of relevant six tax laws and the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA).The constitutionality of the special provision of the GAA — which essentially allows the government to tap government-owned and -controlled corporations to finance unprogrammed appropriations — is one of the complaints highlighted in discussions at the High Court.Must Read Behind the orders that instructed PhilHealth’s P90-billion fund transfer The Office of the Solicitor General said that the government was using its “common sense approach” in sourcing funding for projects that are not explicitly provided for by reallocating unused, idle funds.
“Hindi po pwede na kapag may nakitang malaking pondo na natutulog at hindi nagagamit para sa kapakanan ng taumbayan, hahayaan nalang (It is not acceptable that we have large funds just lying around and not being utilized for the welfare of our people, we can’t just let that happen.),” Recto said on Wednesday.The DOF also instructed the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation to remit P107.
23 of its “excess funds” to the National Treasury.Meanwhile, PhilHealth transferred a total of P60 billion after a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court prevented the state insurer from remitting its last tranche.“Tinignan po ng DOF ang lahat ng mga natutulog na pera ng lahat ng GOCCs (The Department of Finance looked at idle funds of all GOCCs.
),” Recto said.Must Read Recto says transfer of P90-B PhilHealth funds allowed under 2024 budget In the case of PhilHealth, the P89.9 billion was based on the “accumulation of three years’ worth of government subsidies” that was left unused as of end-2023.
The state insurer had recently started improving its benefit packages for members. On March 5, the third day of oral arguments, Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Kho Jr. floated the idea to overhaul its leadership for failing to provide ample healthcare coverage to the Filipino people.
PhilHealth chief Edwin Mercado, who took his oath on the first day of Supreme Court oral arguments, said they are seeking to improve their existing accountability measures. – Rappler.com.
