The Supreme Court (SC) has issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) halting the transfer of PHP 29.9 billion in excess funds from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to the National Treasury.
The High Court issued the temporary restraining order on October 29 in response to petitions filed by various groups, including the 1Sambayan Coalition and the Bayan Muna party-list, who argued that the transfer of funds from PhilHealth infringes upon the right to health guaranteed by the Universal Health Care Act.
The petitions raised concerns that redirecting the PHP 29.9 billion excess funds to the National Treasury would diminish the resources available for healthcare services, particularly for low-income Filipinos who rely on PhilHealth for lifesaving treatments.
“This saves the poorest of the poor of Filipinos, numbering tens of millions, whose only source of lifesaving medicine is the PhilHealth,” retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio of 1Sambayan Coalition expressed.
Meanwhile, health reform advocate Dr. Tony Leachon deemed the ruling an “initial victory” and expressed hopes for a status quo ante order, which would restore the previous conditions surrounding the use of PhilHealth funds.
The court’s decision aims to preserve funds in question until a comprehensive review of the legal arguments can be conducted, with oral arguments scheduled for January 14, 2025.
“We fully respect and will abide by the decision of the Supreme Court on the issue,” PhilHealth spokesman Ish Pargas stated.
Finance Secretary Ralph Recto affirmed the DOF’s respect for the SC’s authority and reiterated the agency’s position that transferring idle funds from government-owned and controlled corporations is mandated by the General Appropriations Act of 2024.
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