The Supreme Court (SC) rescheduled the oral arguments on consolidated petitions challenging the legality of transferring surplus funds from government-owned and -controlled corporations, including the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), to the national treasury.

In an en banc resolution, the SC moved the oral arguments, originally set for 14 January 2025, to 4 February 2025, at 2 p.m.

A temporary restraining order (TRO) was issued by the SC last October, halting the last tranche of the transfer.

The first tranche of PhilHealth’s unused funds, amounting to P20 billion, was released on 10 May.

The second transfer was made on 21 August amounting to P10 billion.

The third tranche, amounting to P30 billion, was transferred to the national treasury on 16 October.

The first petition, filed by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and the Philippine Medical Association, seeks to block the transfer of P89.9 billion in surplus PhilHealth funds to the national treasury.

The petitioners argue that the transfer violates the Constitution and jeopardizes the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act and other healthcare initiatives.

In addition to Pimentel, former Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio also urged the high court to halt the transfer of "excess" funds from the PhilHealth to the national treasury to supplement unprogrammed appropriations in the 2024 budget.

In a 46-page petition filed before the SC, Carpio, and other petitioners asked the high court to issue a TRO, a writ of preliminary injunction, and other injunctive remedies against the transfer of the funds.

The petition was filed as the third tranche of the funds, worth P30 billion, was transferred to the treasury.

The P30 billion is part of the P89.9-billion total from PhilHealth that the Department of Finance (DoF) asked to be returned to the Bureau of the Treasury.

Petitioners are asking the SC to block the implementation of DoF Circular 003-2024, which requires government-owned and controlled corporations to remit their fund balance to the national treasury.