Press Release - Statement of Senator JV Ejercito On the Supreme Court's TRO against the transfer of P89.9-billion fund of Philhealth

We commend the Supreme Court for issuing a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to prevent the transfer of P89.9-billion PhilHealth funds to the National Treasury.

As the author and champion of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, I strongly believe that healthcare funds must be used directly for the benefit of PhilHealth members, which include essentially every Filipino.

Hindi katanggap-tanggap na may ganito kalaking pondo ang hindi nagagamit ng PhilHealth habang marami sa ating mga kababayan ang patuloy na nahihirapan sa kanilang gastusin sa ospital.

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--ang mga indigent, senior citizens, at Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).

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

Included in the said UHC Amendments is a provision which reiterates that Philhealth Funds cannot be realigned or transferred for other purposes.

We're confident that this will pave the way for urgent reforms in funding and ensure that every Filipino will have access to the health services they need without delay.