Healthcare services and member benefits remained untouched when P60 billion in PhilHealth reserve funds was moved to the National Treasury, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto asserted Friday, rejecting any personal liability for the transaction carried out while he led the Department of Finance.
The money in question, Recto explained, came from surplus government contributions and idle reserves that PhilHealth had no immediate use for at the time of the transfer.
“What is important is that the transfer did not affect the PhilHealth services to our people. There is no truth to claims that PhilHealth operations were affected by the said transfer. PhilHealth benefits were not reduced because of that,” he said.
Recto maintained that the administration operated strictly within legal parameters and consistent with standing fiscal rules. “Government actions were consistent with existing fiscal management policies and previous explanations provided by concerned agencies. We have been consistent in our position on this,” he said.
His remarks followed a fresh push by complainants to revive the case. A group of doctors and lawyers led by attorney Rodel Taton lodged a motion for reconsideration before the Office of the Ombudsman this week, asking the anti-graft body to reverse its earlier dismissal of the charges.
The Ombudsman had cleared Recto and several PhilHealth officials of technical malversation, plunder, and breaches of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, ruling there was no prima facie evidence to support an indictment.
