Caritas Philippines, the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, expressed support for the petition to protect Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) funds filed before the Supreme Court on August 2.
The petition is seeking a temporary restraining order and/or a writ of preliminary injunction to prevent the transfer of around P90 billion excess funds from PhilHealth to the national treasury.
“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,” said Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, Caritas Philippines president.
The petition, filed by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, former finance undersecretary Cielo Magno, constitutional law expert Dante Gatmaytan, and the Philippine Medical Association, also asked the Court to order the Department of Finance to return to PhilHealth any funds that may have been transferred following the department’s Circular 003-2024.
Bishop Bagaforo emphasized that these funds came from the contributions of millions of hardworking Filipinos and must be solely used to pay for the healthcare of its members, especially the old, poor, and marginalized.
“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 Bishop Bagaforo.
“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, together with its 85 diocesan social action centers nationwide, continues to advocate for policies that prioritize the welfare of the poor and marginalized and reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that healthcare remains accessible to all Filipinos.