Today's frontpage, Sunday, December 7, 2025
'No Moral Double Jeopardy': David Insists Assets, Not Taxes, Repay Misappropriated PhilHealth Funds
Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, Bishop of Kalookan and former CBCP President, today praised the Supreme Court’s unanimous 15-0 decision ordering the government to reimburse funds to the state insurer, PhilHealth.
However, Cardinal David issued a stern warning against the use of the proposed 2026 national budget to implement the order. He argued that forcing the public to repay the P60 billion in health funds misappropriated by officials through taxes would be a profound injustice and an act of "moral double jeopardy."
He called on the Supreme Court to go further by ordering the government to seize and use the frozen, garnished, or seized assets of the individuals responsible for the scandal to directly reimburse PhilHealth and the PDIC, rather than burdening the Filipino people with the cost stemming from the grave abuse of discretion.
#Philippines #Filipinos #PhilHealth #DOH #PDIC #UniversalHealthcare #PublicHealth #Healthcare #health
