The Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD) and other progressive groups, parties, and individuals staged a protest in front of the Supreme Court in Baguio City on April 2. The protest was in line with the fourth court hearing regarding the petition to declare as illegal and unconstitutional the transfer of “unspent” funds of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to the national treasury.

The court hearing is related to a series of petitions filed in 2024 questioning the transfer of “unspent” ₱89.9 billion PhilHealth funds to the national treasury. Pushed by the Department of Finance, the funds were transferred in tranches on May 10, 2024 (₱20 billion), August 21, 2024 (₱10 billion), and October 16, 2024 (₱30 billion).

The fourth fund transfer was successfully suspended after the Supreme Court en banc issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against it on October 29, 2024. Only ₱29.9 billion of PhilHealth’s funds remain untransferred.

According to HEAD, the government’s decision to transfer the funds not only undermines Filipinos’ access to healthcare but also opens the door for misuse of funds for political and non-health-related purposes.

Lawyers who appeared in court for the hearings include Atty. Kaloi Zarate and Atty. Neri Colmenares, leaders and nominees of Bayan Muna Party-list. According to the party, the transfer of funds is inappropriate as it would only go to “unprogrammed appropriations,” where it would most probably be squandered and used for projects that do not benefit the public.

Previous hearings also exposed PhilHealth’s incompetence in providing healthcare services to Filipinos. Consequently, HEAD emphasized its call for a state-funded, expanded, and strengthened healthcare system that serves Filipinos regardless of PhilHealth membership.

HEAD and other groups vowed to continue their call for an equitable and efficient public healthcare system that prioritizes the people’s needs over bureaucratic interests.