Cheyenne Suarez

Zero government subsidy for Philhealth questioned at the Supreme Court

Article (news)

Adrian Ayalin

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1740456271944philhealth.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Philippine Health Insurance Corporation branch in Quezon City. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Philippine Health Insurance Corporation branch in Quezon City. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>Cardiologist Tony Leachon filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition Tuesday before the Supreme Court to challenge the constitutionality of the “zero subsidy” or non-allocation of funds for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation or PhilHealth.</p><p>Respondents to the petition are House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Senate President Francis Escudero and Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.</p><p>“Kaya kinukwestyon natin ang constitutionality kasi unconstitutional ang zero subsidy sa PhilHealth kasi first time iyan in Philippine history na hindi binibigyasn importansya ng Pangulo ng Pilipinas at ng Senate President at ng lower house ang kalusugan ng bawat Pilipino,” Leachon said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/16/philhealth-assures-continued-services-despite-loss-of-2025-government-subsidy-2237" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PhilHealth assures continued services despite loss of 2025 government subsidy</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/6/philhealth-announces-increased-benefits-for-members-in-2025-1605" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PhilHealth increases benefits for members in 2025</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/14/marcos-orders-uninterrupted-philhealth-benefits-amid-zero-gov-t-subsidy-1354" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Marcos orders uninterrupted PhilHealth benefits amid zero gov&#x27;t subsidy</a></div><p>In his petition, Leachon asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order or writ of preliminary injunction to halt the implementation of Republic Act No. 12116 or the General Appropriations Act of 2025 concerning the non-allocation of funds for the state insurer.</p><p>Leachon said millions of Filipinos were deprived of their constitutionally guaranteed right to health, pending the final resolution of the petition.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:560px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1894224307825643716&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-02-25T03%3A53%3A56.104626%3A143664b1-8b36-4a0e-831c-28bfc70752c9%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=e953cc5786e53818ef975400093955f1a8c72ee0&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:745px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="1894224307825643716"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>He likewise asked the court to issue a writ of mandamus to direct the appropriate government agencies to immediately allocate and release the necessary funds to PhilHealth in accordance with the mandates of Republic Act No. 112233 Universal Health Care Act and the 1987 Constitution.</p><p>“Without this court&#x27;s action, the government&#x27;s silence will become an acceptance of suffering, and the dreams of equitable healthcare will wither away for those who need it most,” Leachon said in the petition.</p><p>Leachon further stated that the realignments and increases in the funding for other sectors, particularly at the House of Representatives and the Senate, were don in arbitrary manner which deprived Filipinos of their right to a transparent budgetary process.</p><p>The budget of the HOR increased from P16.35 billion to P33.67 billion while the Senate’s rose from P12.83 billion to P13.93 billion.</p><p>Leachon also stressed that the 2025 GAA did not earmark a single centavo for PhilHealth despite the clear mandate of RA No. 112233.</p><p>He also noted that the respondents also justified the non-inclusion of PhilHealth in view of its more or less P600 billion reserve funds.</p><p>He likewise noted the statement of Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier during the February 4, 2025 oral arguments on PhilHealth funds that the state insurer is supposedly bankrupt.</p><p>“Eto Supreme Court, dyan lang sa kabila ang PGH, ang Malacanang eh wala pang kalahating kilometro, ang Department of Finance dyan lang sa Roxas Blvd., wala pang kalahating, bulag ba sila? Para hindi makita ang Philippine General Hospital na pumipila ang mga tao,” Leachon said.</p>

<p>Cardiologist Tony Leachon filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition Tuesday before the Supreme Court to challenge the constitutionality of the “zero subsidy” or non-allocation of funds for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation or PhilHealth.</p>

Cardiologist Tony Leachon filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition Tuesday before the Supreme Court to challenge the constitutionality of the “zero subsidy” or non-allocation of funds for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation or PhilHealth.