📷Koalisyong Makabayan senatorial candidate Teddy Casiño, Bayan Muna nominees Neri Colmenares at Ferdinand Gaite | Kodao Productions
MAAARING gamitin ng administrasyong Marcos Jr. na pantustos sa kanilang mga kandidato ang P59.9 bilyong PhilHealth funds na pilit nilang inilipat para sa Unprogrammed Appropriations kaya hiniling ng mga leader ng Bayan Muna sa Korte Suprema na maglabas ng temporary restraining order (TRO) para pigilan ito.
“The timing of this transfer, just months before the national and local elections, raises very serious concerns. Without the urgent issuance of a TRO, the remaining Php 59.9 billion of Philhealth is at risk of being used in projects to be used to boost the image of candidates favored by the Marcos Administration, “ sabi ni Koalisyong Makabayan senatorial candidate Teddy Casiño, kasama ng Bayan Muna na humiling ng TRO sa Supreme Court ngayong araw.
“I, together with other Bayan Muna leaders, are filing a motion in the Supreme Court today for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to prevent the transfer of the remaining Php 60 Billion Philhealth funds to various pork barrel projects under the national budget’s Unprogrammed Appropriations,” aniya.
Nauna na aniya silang naghain ng petisyon sa SC para ideklarang unconstitutional ang paglaki ng Unprogrammed Fund sa w024 General Appropriations Act , kasama ang paghuthot sa mga pondo ng government owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) gaya ng PhilHealth para sa isang lump sum item na ilalaan sa hindi tinukoy na pork barrel projects sa Unprogrammed Fund.
“We previously filed a petition in the SC to declare as unconstitutional the bloating of the Unprogrammed Fund in the 2024 General Appropriations Act, to include the siphoning of GOCC funds like Philhealth’s to a lump sum item for unidentified pork barrel projects in the Unprogrammed Fund. This motion is in accordance with that Petition,” sabi ni Casiño.
Bilang taxpayers at PhilHealth members ay kailangan aniyang protektahan ng taumbayan ang PhilHealth budget sa posibilidad na illegal na gastusin ito para sa “pork and election related projects”.
“ We need to protect the Philhealth budget from possibly being illegally disbursed for pork and election-related projects. As citizen-taxpayers and Philhealth members, we Petitioners have the duty to safeguard public resources and prevent its dissipation into improper or unconstitutional purposes,” giit niya.
“Health professionals and even former health secretaries have already raised red flags over this transfer of much needed funds for health services,” dagdag ni Casiño
“Ang bawat pisong inaalis mula sa mahahalagang serbisyo tulad ng kalusugan ay isang pagtataksil sa tiwala ng publiko. Dapat nating protektahan ang natitirang pondo para sa benepisyo ng mga tao, hindi para sa mga pansariling interes ng mga politiko.” (ROSE NOVENARIO)