Transfer P52-B 'political ayuda' to PhilHealth, doctors propose

Lawmakers" "guarantee letters" for health and social welfare "ayuda" are illegal.

- JARIUS BONDOC

They are pork barrels which the Supreme Court outlawed in 2014. They abet bribery, malversation and nepotism.

Senators and congressmen issue pro-forma letters to the Departments of Health and of Social Welfare and Development guaranteeing that beneficiaries are indigents in need of help.

But those are usually political wards in their payroll or voters they are wooing.

Guarantee letters specify amounts of health or social welfare services that lawmakers want. Those range from P50,000 to P100,000 per "beneficiary." They direct DOH and DSWD to charge the amounts to their ayuda allocations parked in the departments.

Pork barrels are a no-no, DOH USec. Albert Domingo said Wednesday. They supposedly ignore the amounts stated. Just the same, they help the individuals if willing to stay in charity wards of government hospitals, he told broadcasters Ted Failon and Czarina Guevarra (True FM 105.9).

Domingo said they doubt the indigency of recipients. More so if these are already billeted in solo rooms, instead of shared charity wards.

The SC defined pork barrels as lump sums for unspecified projects proposed by lawmakers after the approval of annual national budgets. Legislators unconstitutionally perform the work of executive agencies.

But the Senate-House of Reps bicameral conference committee approved this week two illegal ayudas in the 2026 national budget: