Groups assail BBM over scrapped PhilHealth subsidy

Labor and militant groups have denounced President Marcos' failure to restore the scrapped subsidy for Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) in the enacted P6.326-trillion national budget for 2025.

- By MAYEN JAYMALIN

Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) secretary general Judy Miranda said Marcos was insincere in his veto of several line items since the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) remains embedded in the national budget.

Miranda accused Marcos of being deceitful in claiming that PhilHealth benefits would not be affected by lack of subsidy.

Different labor groups previously filed before the Supreme Court a petition opposing the transfer of PhilHealth's excess funds to the National Treasury.

Partido ng Lakas ng Masa president Leody de Guzman also criticized Marcos for signing what he called a questionable national budget.

De Guzman the P194-billion fund taken out from the national budget only comprised three percent of the entire budget for 2025.

"The fun continues for the elitist traditional politicians and dynasties in the 2025 budget," De Guzman said in Filipino.

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan or Bayan said the enacted national budget prioritizes confidential and intelligence funds over critical social services such as education and healthcare.

"Marcos did not restore budget cuts. He merely vetoed certain items to make the budget appear as conforming to the Constitution," Bayan president Renato Reyes said in a statement.

"Cuts in education and health services remain. None of the cuts were restored," he said.