Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) hiniling sa SC na ibasura ang mga petisyon laban sa PhilHealth fund transfer
Nanindigan ang Office of the Goverment Corporate Counsel (OGCC) na nagsisilbing abogado ng government corporations na naaayon sa mga batas ang paglipat ng PhilHealth sa sobrang pondo nito sa National Treasury.
Sa oral arguments ng Supreme Court, iginiit ni Government Corporate Counsel Solomon Hermosura na dapat mabasura ang mga petisyon.
Ayon kay Hermosura, hindi parte ng reserved funds at ng special funds kasama ng mga nakolekta mula sa sin tax ng PhilHealth ang halos P90 bilyong unused funds nito kaya legal ang paglipat ng nasabing pondo.
Aniya, “Both under the national health insurance fund and the universal healthcare act thw reserve fund is and to quot efrom two laws that portion of philhealths accumulated revenues not needed to meet the costs of the current yr expenditure that philheath set aside as reserve funds.”
Dagdag pa niya, hindi rin pinahina ng fund transfer ang karapatan sa kalusugan ng mamamayan na nakasaad sa Saligang Batas gaya ng sinasabi ng petitioners dahil mas lumaki pa nga ang operating budget ng PhilHealth ngayong Marcos Government.
Ayon pa kay Hermosura,“Despite its remittance of 60billion to the treasurry last year philhealths operating budget for 2025 increased to 284billion higher than 2024 budget by 25 billion. The operating budget of philhealth has increased by 58% during this administration.”
Ipinunto pa ni Hermosura sa mga mahistrado ng Supreme Court, na dapat dumulog muna ang petitioners sa PhilHealth Board na may kapangyarihan na umakto sa mga reklamo ng mga miyembro.
“These case should have not reached this honorable courtThey should be dismissed because petitioners who r suing as philhealth members made no attempt to exhaust administrative remedy before resorting to this honorable court. Petitioners ignored Philhealths board quasci judicial powersunder the national insurance health act to hear and resolve grievances from members.”
Una nang ipinunto ng petitioners na alinsunod sa mga batas ang anumang sobrang pondo ng PhilHealth ay dapat gamitin lamang para taasan ang benepisyo at para bawasan ang kontribusyon ng mga miyembro, at i-invest ito bilang investment reserved funds.
Sinabi ni Atty Paula Mae Tabquieng, legal counsel para sa mga petitioner, “To ensure that this is met section 11 also unequivocallly stated that no portion of reserved funds or income thereof shall accrue to the general funds of the national government. Taking away philhealths funds contradicts section 11 of the universal health care act and the concept of social health insurance. In computing the alleged fund balance the dof defied the clear language of the sin tax laws stating these funds should be used for universal healthcare.”
Itutuloy ng Korte Suprema ang oral arguments sa mga petisyon kontra sa PhilHealth fund transfer sa Pebrero 25.
Moira Encina-Cruz
