It's not enough for BBM to return PhilHealth's P60B

It's not enough for Bongbong Marcos to return our PhilHealth's P60 billion.

- JARIUS BONDOC

The Supreme Court must outlaw the siphoning of our PhilHealth money to begin with. BBM's admin took our P60 billion in 2024 for non-health insurance projects.

A clear ruling will stop future admins from dipping their hands in members' funds, petitioners at the SC say.

To which I add: make the culprits pay interest on the P60 billion. Also interest on the P242.28 billion that two admins have withheld from our PhilHealth since 2019. And indict them for breaking the Universal Health Care, Sin Tax and Corporation Laws.

BBM is trying to appease us PhilHealth members. His Finance Sec. Ralph Recto misspent half of our P60 billion on the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Islands Bridges. Korea already lent money for that construction. BBM's Health Sec. Ted Herbosa misused the other half for pandemic emergency pay of health workers. The Dept. of Health, not PhilHealth, should've paid for that. Herbosa is facing three ombudsman cases for fund anomalies.

Recto was deputy speaker in December 2023 when the House allotted multibillions for Charter change to parliamentary form. Congress also inserted pork barrels, mostly for fake and shoddy flood works.

In January 2024 Recto assumed as Finance chief to enforce the dirty budget. BBM signed both the 2024 budget and Recto's appointment.