House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro strongly condemned the transfer of nearly P90 billion in unused Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) funds to the national government, calling it a blatant violation of laws meant to protect the interests of PhilHealth beneficiaries.
“This immoral transfer of funds is a direct assault on the health rights of Filipinos, especially the most vulnerable sectors of our society,” Rep. Castro declared. “We demand that the Marcos administration immediately return these funds to PhilHealth, where they rightfully belong and should be used for the benefit of its members.”
The legislator emphasized that the transfer goes against the spirit and letter of the Universal Health Care Act, which mandates that excess funds should be utilized to enhance benefits and reduce member contributions.
“As we approach the budget season, we will rigorously scrutinize this unethical transfer of funds,” Rep. Castro warned. “There are concerns that these diverted funds may be used for the coming elections. We will move to strike down this provision from the 2025 budget and ensure that PhilHealth funds are protected and used solely for their intended purpose.”
Rep. Castro also questioned the timing of the fund transfer, especially in light of the recent 25% increase in PhilHealth contributions. “It is unconscionable to burden our citizens with higher premiums while simultaneously diverting billions of pesos away from healthcare services,” she stated.
The ACT Teachers representative called for greater transparency and accountability in the management of PhilHealth funds. “This incident underscores the need for stricter oversight of our health insurance system. We cannot allow bureaucratic mismanagement or political maneuvering to compromise the health security of our people,” Rep. Castro concluded.###
