Bayan Muna members protested before the Supreme Court on February 4 concurrent with the court hearing on petitions to stop Philhealth’s ₱89.9 billion “excess funds” from being returned to the national treasury. One of the petitioners was the party’s first nominee Atty. Neri Colmenares. They asked the court to declare the move unconstitutional.

Pursuant to the filed petition, the transfer of funds is illegal. It violates the Universal Health Care Act, which states that the agency’s surplus funds must be used to improve health benefits and lower beneficiaries’ expenditures, instead of transferring it to the public treasury for general use. The petition achieved initial success when the court issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against transferring the ₱29.9 billion final tranche on October 29, 2024. Prior to this, the Department of Finance had had already transferred ₱60 billion.

The petitioners said the transfer of funds may also cause a deficiency of health services, especially since the Marcos government gave zero funding for the agency this year. The petitioners are against the transfer’s lack of transparency and the government’s irresponsibility in using the fund, which would be at the disposal of the president as unprogrammed funds.

“The people’s money must go to basic services!” Bayan Muna declared. “Marcos Jr and all administrations should stop their schemes to amass any form of pork barrel. Philhealth’s remaining funds should not be transferred to the Bureau of Treasury. It must be used to develop the health service!