Culpability for plunder (6)

All Filipinos should pay the Supreme Court the highest honor of patriotism for acting swiftly on the world’s biggest health fund scam.

“This is the best win for the Filipino people!” is a fitting remark from Sen. Christopher Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, on heeding the public calls to stop “the illegal and immoral” transfer of excess funds from PhilHealth to finance projects unrelated to the people’s health and wellness.

The Supreme Court issued the temporary restraining order (TRO) on Tuesday, 29 October, after three of the four scheduled fund transfers had already gone through.

Of the P89.9 billion the Department of Finance had ordered PhilHealth to give up, P60 billion had been transferred. P20 billion was returned on 10 May, P10 billion on 21 August, and P30 billion on 16 October. The last tranche of P20.9 billion was slated to be transferred in November.

But the issuance of the TRO does not end his crusade, said Senator Go.

“This will give us more resolve and more determination to fight for the fundamental health of every Filipino, especially the poor and the helpless, so that we may bring some hope for the hopeless and a voice to the voiceless,” Go stressed.

According to Sen. Go, he will continue to advocate for PhilHealth to increase its case rates, expand the benefit packages and lower members’ premium contributions. Go also said he will continue to push the state health insurance agency to improve its emergency and preventive care services and provide dental and visual care, free medicines, assistive devices and other medical needs for the poor.

The senator said it is also imperative for PhilHealth to fix its outdated policies, aside from the 24-hour hospital confinement rule and single-period confinement policy.

Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, the author and champion of the Universal Health Care Act, believes the health funds must be used directly for the benefit of PhilHealth members, which would eventually include every Filipino.

It is unacceptable that there was such a large fund that PhilHealth did not utilize while many of its members continued to struggle with their hospital expenses.

“PhilHealth owes the Filipino people an explanation for this underspending and for wasting this opportunity, especially when these funds could have been used to expand health benefits, reduce premiums and support those who need it most — the indigent, senior citizens and persons with disabilities,” Ejercito added.

With this development, Ejercito said Congress must expedite the passage into law of the proposed amendments to the UHC Act.

“This TRO is a critical step forward, but we cannot stop here. I urge our counterparts in the House of Representatives to pass their version of the proposed amendments to the UHC Act before the year ends, he said.

Included in the UHC Amendments bill is a provision that reiterates that PhilHealth funds cannot be realigned or transferred to other purposes.

Senate Minority Leader Aquino “Koko” Pimentel III, one of those who filed the petition at the SC, also welcomed the TRO. “Those funds are members’ contributions. They should be treated as sacred funds.”

Pimentel said it would be a good idea to get the wording right on the mechanisms and policies that would allow the tapping of unprogrammed funds.