SCANDALS AND WOEFUL tales of corruption and fund misuse seem to have become our breakfast fare in this country. We get large bites of these disgusting news daily to a point where it desensitizes people because of their regularity and scale.
On August 12, Senator Panfilo Lacson again exposed the Senate and House for approving the removal of P74 billion in subsidies for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. from the 2025 budget— thereby further endangering the lives and welfare of the common tao, esp. workers who have toiled so hard to chip in to the budget through taxes only to find they have nothing to bank on when they get very sick.
Interpellating on the privilege speech of Sen. JV Ejercito about the Universal Health Care Act, Lacson flagged the realignment of PhilHealth’s budget to other items, which left the agency with zero subsidy for next year, Bilyonaryo reported.
“Bakit pumayag ang mga mambabatas sa pagtanggal sa ₱74 bilyon para sa Philippine Health Insurance Corp. sa 2025 General Appropriations Act kung alam nilang ilegal ito?” Lacson asked.
He stressed that the move violated the Sin Tax Law and the legal principle that a general law cannot amend a special law.
“(The) GAA is a general law. And the sin tax law is a special law. And any lawyer will tell you… that a general law cannot amend a special law. In other words, what the Senate did and what the House did was illegal,” he said.
‘Malacañang assured the people it would be stricter in entering into contracts and implementing flood control projects amid ongoing probes on the status of 9,855 flood mitigation measures under the President’s term.’
DELETION NOT ALLOWED
Ejercito revealed during the exchange that ₱43 billion for PhilHealth remained in the Senate version of the budget, but this amount was entirely removed during the bicameral conference committee deliberations.
Lacson said the legislature should never have allowed the deletion, pointing out that the Sin Tax Law earmarks ₱74 billion annually for PhilHealth. “Paano nakalusot ito sa House, may abogado doon? Sa Senate may mga abogado, paano nakalusot na effectively in-amend ng GAA ang special law?” he asked.
Under the amended PhilHealth Act and the Universal Health Care Act, Lacson noted, any surplus funds of the agency should be used to enhance members’ benefits or reduce their premium contributions.
PUMPING STATION REPAIRS
Similarly, Sen. Raffy Tulfo, in a draft bill, pushed to restore the rehabilitation and maintenance of Metro Manila’s pumping stations to MMDA, instead of the Department of Public Works and Highways. SB No 1168 proposed transferring the mandate and funding for pumping station repairs back to MMDA, which directly supervises and operates these facilities.
Tulfo said he only learned from MMDA chair Romando Artes that DPWH is holding the rehabilitation mandate and budget while MMDA manages daily operations, an arrangement that has caused operational delays with the two agencies splitting control over infrastructure that could be more efficiently managed by one.
The split has brought about non operational pumping stations in Metro Manila, including the one near the Senate in Pasay City under the current set-up. Tulfo also flagged the case of the Sunog de Apog Pumping Station, which has never operated since its completion.
The MMDA said it refused to accept the facility from the DPWH during turnover because it was not functioning. The station was meant to help quickly drain floodwaters along España Boulevard.
“The current bureaucratic set-up could lead to delays, reducing the efficiency and capacity of critical flood control infrastructure during heavy rainfall,” Tulfo said, stressing that the MMDA is more familiar with the condition and needs of pumping stations under its jurisdiction.
TIGHTER WATCH
Malacañang assured the people it would be stricter in entering into contracts and implementing flood control projects amid ongoing probes on the status of 9,855 flood mitigation measures under the President’s term. The palace also urged the people to report alleged anomalies in their communities through sumbongsapangulo.ph.
Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the government will be stricter in entering into such contracts and in monitoring the progress of these projects.
Castro said the probe unearthed that those contractors previously listed in the blacklist managed to get new contracts using a different name. “Pero ngayon ay parang namamayagpag pa rin. So, dapat iyon po ang bantayan natin at maging mapanuri tayo sa kanilang mga naging trabaho.”
On Monday, Marcos released the names of 15 contractors that bagged the most number of flood control projects worth P 100 billion under his term. This is 20 percent of the P 545.64 billion worth of flood control projects that were implemented from July 2022 to May 2025.
The President said he is not yet accusing anyone but called on the public to do their part by checking flood control projects in their community to report any alleged irregularity.
Castro said the 15 contractors will be under scrutiny as well but this does not mean that they are The 15 will be the start of our investigations and will be the basis for determining if said projects were implemented or existing, operational and effective in mitigating floods.”
NAMING INVOLVED
The Department of Economy, Planning and Development’s (formerly NEDA) Regional Project Monitoring Committees and an oversight team composed of officials of the DEPDev, Department of Budget and Management, Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Presidential Management Staff will conduct the inspections and audit of the flood control projects.
She said Marcos will release the names of politicians linked to anomalous flood control projects or the 15 contractors when investigations are over.
“There is no deadline for the public to submit their reports on flood control projects in their areas,” Castro said as she stressed that Filipinos may submit anonymous reports as long as they have basis and are verified.
“Ayaw naman po nating magkaroon ng witchhunting na kahit wala pa pong ebidensiya, eh parang nalaman mo lang, ayon may anomalya, pero walang ebidensya, mahirap naman po, kasi baka iyong ibang inosente ay madamay.”
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