INUSISA ng Korte Suprema kung paano inilalatag ang pondo ng PhilHealth upang tugunan ang pangangailangang medikal ng mga mahihirap na Pilipino.
“So therefore, when you come up with your budget request for the subsidy, you don’t actually consider the taxes being collected that Congress passed for purposes of subsidy for indirect contributors?” saad ni Associate Justice Antonio Kho Jr.
“That is correct, Your Honor. The budget is computed based on the need,” ani Health Assistant Secretary Dr. Albert Domingo.
“So, you’re not following the law? You’re not observing what the law states?” wika ni Kho.
Pinuna ni Associate Justice Antonio Kho Jr. ang paraan ng pagkalkula ng PhilHealth sa kanilang budget para sa pangangailangang medikal ng lahat ng Pilipino.
Isa ito sa mga naging sentro ng oral arguments sa Korte Suprema kaugnay ng P89.9B pondo ng PhilHealth na ibinalik sa National Treasury sa ilalim ng administrasyong Marcos Jr., imbes na gamitin sa pagpapalawak ng serbisyong medikal para sa publiko.
Ayon kay Justice Kho, kailangang ipaliwanag kung paano kinakalkula ng PhilHealth ang badyet para sa ‘Indirect Contributors’—mga indibidwal na hindi nagbabayad ng kontribusyon dahil sinasagot ito ng gobyerno.
“Your Honor, budget principles require that it’s needs-based. If we will follow it based on the projected fund ceiling or availability, it might not match certain needs,” dagdag ni Domingo.
“Yes, I agree it is based on needs, but the problem is that PhilHealth limits the funding, so you don’t address the health needs of the Filipino people!” ayon pa kay Kho.
Ang mga Indirect Contributors ng PhilHealth ay kinabibilangan ng mga mahihirap, senior citizen, PWDs, mga walang trabaho, miyembro ng 4Ps, at mga dating OFW na wala nang hanapbuhay.
At sagot ang mga ito ng gobyerno sa ilalim ng Universal Health Care Law.
Ayon sa batas, dapat makatanggap ng parehong serbisyo ang Indirect at Direct Contributors ng PhilHealth.
Kabilang dito ang libreng hospital services, outpatient care, at gamot sa ilalim ng PhilHealth Konsulta Package at iba pang programa ng gobyerno.
Dahil dito, iginiit ni Justice Kho na hindi dapat limitahan ng PhilHealth ang kanilang badyet lalo na’t maraming Pilipino ang nangangailangan ng serbisyong medikal.
“If you increase the budget by 200%, I don’t think the Filipino people would not avail of that! You define your own limits. Congress allocates budget or collects taxes—provides for the collection of taxes to answer for the subsidy of PhilHealth for indirect contributors. Now, when you request money for subsidy, ang ibig mong sabihin hindi mo papakialaman ‘yun? Hindi mo na iintindihin ‘yun? Gagawa ka ng sarili mong formula because you have a limited understanding of the needs of our people for health?” ani Kho.
“Your Honor, the current administration agrees with your observation, which is why this particular case under litigation has been the signal it has been using to increase the benefits,” ani Domingo.
Dahil sa naging talakayan sa Korte Suprema, ipinunto ni Justice Kho na dapat ibalik ng national government ang pondong inilaan para sa PhilHealth.
Sa kasalukuyan, P60B mula sa kontrobersiyal na P89.9B na pondo ng PhilHealth ang naibalik na sa National Treasury.
“So, therefore, if the current administration recognizes that, very good. And therefore, they should restore or bring back the money to PhilHealth,” ayon pa kay Kho.
“Your Honor, the reason why the administration recognized it is because for the longest time, the corporation has thought it will always get money because of the guarantee of the sin tax,” ani Domingo.
“Precisely! Whatever that is, as long as the government recognizes it now, it is incumbent upon the government to return the P60 billion that was transmitted already because it is now recognized! Maybe it wasn’t recognized before, but now it is. So, therefore, when you recognize it, you should return it,” ayon kay Kho.
