The Catholic Church’s development and advocacy arm has welcomed moves to block the transfer of “unused” funds from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to the national treasury.
Caritas Philippines said the funds should be “solely used” for their intended purpose — providing healthcare to PhilHealth members.
Its president, Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, said they oppose using the funds for unprogrammed appropriations, as it risks misuse and potential corruption.
“While we appreciate the national government’s concern through the Department of Finance to fund initiatives to support economic growth, we strongly object to the use of PhilHealth funds for unprogrammed appropriations and fear that this move may lend to the misuse of the funds, not discounting exposing such to corruption,” Bagaforo said.
The organization made the statement in support of a petition filed on Aug. 2 before the Supreme Court, aimed at protecting PhilHealth funds.
The petition was filed by the Philippine Medical Association, Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, former finance undersecretary Cielo Magno, Dr. Ma. Dominga Padilla, and the Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa, among others.
The 38-page petition challenges the General Appropriations Act 2024 and Department of Finance Circular 003-2023, which permit transferring PhilHealth’s P89.9 billion surplus funds to the national treasury.
“We appeal to the honorable justices of our Supreme Court to uphold the principles of the 2019 Universal Healthcare Law and protect every Filipino’s right to health by deciding in favor of the petition,” said Bagaforo, who is also the bishop of Kidapawan.
“As a humanitarian organization and as stewards of the Church’s social mission, we believe it is our civic and moral duty to defend the integrity of these funds,” he added.
Caritas Philippines and its 85 diocesan partners continue to advocate for policies that prioritize the poor and marginalized, reaffirming their commitment to accessible healthcare for all Filipinos.
