Philhealth funds restored, boosted

Executive Secretary Ralph G. Recto on Thursday said the Marcos administration has fully carried out the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) funds—and has gone further by increasing the agency’s budget to strengthen public health services.

Recto said that while he respects the right of any party to seek legal remedies, his focus remains on enforcing the law and delivering better government services.

“We will continue to uphold the rule of law, respect due process, and work to uplift the lives of our kababayan. I will not get distracted by political noise. The work of improving government performance and services is my priority,” he said.

His statement came amid the filing of a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman, which Recto said involves issues already resolved by the Supreme Court and fully complied with by the government.

“Consistent with this, funding for PhilHealth has since been restored and even augmented in order to better serve our countrymen,” he emphasized.

Recto also expressed confidence that the allegations against him will be assessed fairly, citing the Supreme Court’s position on his actions as former finance secretary.

“Let me also reiterate my innocence, as opined by Supreme Court Justices, that no criminal liability may attach to me, as former Secretary of Finance, for acting in good faith and in accordance with a direct mandate from Congress in ordering the remittance of PhilHealth’s unused funds,” he said.

“We remain confident that the facts and the law are clear, and that the appropriate institutions will evaluate any allegations fairly and objectively,” Recto added.