Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (Facebook)

Cagayan de Oro 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez has praised Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier for "taking up the cudgels for millions of PhilHealth members".

This, as the lawyer-congressman lauded Lazaro-Javier's  the line of questioning during the oral arguments hearing conducted by the SC on the transfer to the treasury of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) funds amounting to P89.9 billion.

“Her views give Philhealth members hope that the almost P90 billion they have lost due to a directive from the Department of Finance (DOF) would be eventually returned to them for their health insurance benefits," Rodriguez said of the magistrate.

Rodriguez say he believes most SC justices share the views of Justice Lazaro-Javier.

Aa such, he urged the High Court to invalidate PhilHealth fund transfers to the national treasury before the national government finds excuses to not return the funds if the tribunal rules against the remittances.

He said based on Lazaro-Javier’s questioning of Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra, counsel of respondent Senate and House of Representatives, it was clear that PhilHealth funds are reserved for its members.

“It was also crystal clear that the DOF and the national government did not have to dip into PhilHealth coffers because projects for which the remittances were intended were already funded in the national budget,” said the veteran solon.

He said the facts exposed by Justice Lazaro-Javier “showed that the DOF directive was absolutely not necessary and that the DOF and the national government just wanted to take advantage of Philhealth’s billions that should be reserved for its members".

Rodriguez was among the first lawmakers to question the transfers, arguing they violated the Constitution and several laws.

As early as Oct. 24, 2024, he had urged the SC to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the fund turnover so as not to prejudice millions of PhilHealth members, both contributory and non-contributory (those who cannot afford to pay premiums).

Five days later, the tribunal finally issued a temporary restraining order (TRO), but it covered only the P29.9 billion that PhilHealth had not yet sent to the treasury at that time. A total of P60 billion had already been transferred.

In the course of questioning Guevarra, Lazaro-Javier said PhilHealth funds should be “exclusively used” for the agency’s programs and for members’ benefits, and not diverted to unrelated purposes.

“Reserve funds, as it is named, [are] reserved and cannot be subject to the discretion of PhilHealth to be used for another purpose,” she said.

She said based on a list submitted by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), projects to be funded by PhilHealth fund transfers included a bridge financed by the Export-Import Bank of Korea in the amount of P174.49 billion. 

“Is there an urgency to transfer the PhilHealth funds when the project is already fully funded?” Lazaro-Javier asked.

The transferred funds were also used to augment the budget of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity.

“Is the peace process part of the mandate of PhilHealth?” Javier asked.

“It is a fact that money was taken, billions, in fact P89 billion…For the construction of a bridge that has not even started and that has been funded many times over? And a right of way that is already funded… by billions, and maintenance of roads that is already funded by billions under the GAA,” she said.