MANILA — Malacañang said it will abide by the Supreme Court’s decision on a recent petition challenging the constitutionality of the “zero subsidy” or non-allocation of funds for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). 

Cardiologist Tony Leachon filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition Tuesday before the Supreme Court to halt the implementation of Republic Act No. 12116 or the General Appropriations Act of 2025 concerning the non-allocation of funds for the state insurer, millions of Filipinos were deprived of their constitutionally guaranteed right to health.

“Mayroon pong mga dahilan dito kung bakit po naging zero subsidy ang mga mambabatas natin. Pakinggan na lang po muna natin kung ano po ang magiging desisyon ng Supreme Court. Kung sasabihin po ng Supreme Court na dapat po na ibalik ang subsidy mula sa gobyerno, tutuparin po natin iyan at magku-comply po tayo kung anuman po ang sasabihin ng Supreme Court,” Palace Press Officer Atty. Claire Castro said in a Malacañang briefing.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier justified the scrapping of subsidies for PhilHealth, citing the state health insurer's multibillion-peso reserves.

“Dahil ang katotohanan diyan ay kung tignan ninyo kaya binawi ng Department of Finance 'yung ilang reserve na naman doon na naiwan dahil hindi nagamit 'yon ng ilang taon. In other words, PhilHealth has sufficient budget to do all the things that they want to do," Marcos Jr. said in an interview in December.