A group of doctors, lawyers, health advocates, and PhilHealth members filed complaints Thursday against Executive Secretary Ralph Recto and former PhilHealth CEO Emmanuel Ledesma Jr.
The complaints, lodged with the Office of the Ombudsman, include allegations of plunder, technical malversation, graft, and other administrative violations.
The petitioners said the P60 billion transfer caused significant harm to PhilHealth and its members, citing estimated lost interest of more than P50 million that could have funded member benefits.
The funds were moved under Department of Finance Circular No. 003-2024, which allowed the so-called excess PhilHealth money to be used for unprogrammed allocations in the 2024 General Appropriations Act.
Lawyer Rodel Taton, representing the complainants, stressed that the transfer was illegal regardless of whether the money had been spent.
In December 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that the P60 billion must be returned to PhilHealth, invalidating the DOF circular and related provisions of the 2024 GAA due to grave abuse of discretion.
