Ombudsman asked to probe Recto over P60-B PhilHealth fund transfer

Local

By MyTVCebu Desk

HEALTH reform advocate and physician Tony Leachon has filed plunder, graft, and malversation charges against several Cabinet officials over the transfer of around P60 billion in Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) funds to the National Treasury.

The complaint was filed before the Office of the Ombudsman on May 25 accusing government officials of illegally diverting PhilHealth reserve funds despite restrictions under the Universal Health Care Act, a report by Philstar said.

Named in the complaint were Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, Acting Finance Secretary Frederick Go, Acting Budget Secretary Rolando Toledo, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, and current and former PhilHealth officials Edwin Mercado and Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. President Roberto Tan was also included in the complaint over similar fund transfers involving his agency.

Leachon, a former independent director of PhilHealth, argued that the agency’s reserve funds are trust funds intended solely for members’ healthcare benefits and should not be used for other government expenditures through executive issuances or budgetary provisions.

He also claimed that despite public warnings and concerns raised over the transfer, the respondents still proceeded with the fund diversion, allegedly disregarding existing legal limitations and the possible impact on public healthcare financing.

The complaint came after the Supreme Court earlier ordered the government to return P60 billion in PhilHealth excess funds previously transferred to the National Treasury following an earlier directive from the Department of Finance. (Angel Sheane Dumas, CNU Comm-BJ Intern)