Group appeals Ombudsman's decision clearing Recto over PhilHealth fund transfer

Lawyer Rodel Taton and the rest of Iloilo-based doctors and lawyers on Thursday appealed the Ombudsman decision clearing former Finance Secretary Ralph Recto and PhilHealth chief Emmanuel Ledesma, Jr. over the transfer of P60 billion PhilHealth funds to the National Treasury.

The motion for reconsideration was in connection with the plunder, technical malversation and graft complaints they filed against Recto and Ledesma.

The Ombudsman earlier ruled that these officials cannot be held liable since the transfer was done in good faith and as provided under the 2024 national budget law.

The Ombudsman also said that Recto ultimately decided to return the P60 billion funds to PhilHealth in compliance with a 2025 Supreme Court decision declaring the budget law provision allowing such transfer illegal, making the allegation of personal enrichment without basis.

The complainants, however, stated in their Motion that "the sequence of events starting from the insertion of the Special Provisión 1(d) in the 2024 GAA up until the transfer of the PHP 60 Billion from PhilHealth excess reserve funds to the National Treasury cannot belie the involvement of Respondents Recto and Respondent Ledesma who acquiesced to the former and should not be used as a justification to absolve him from any liability including Respondent Ledesma Jr."

Before 2022, the sixth district of Batangas was represented by Recto's wife, Vilma Santos-Recto. The same district is now represented by Recto's son, Ryan Christian Recto.

"We stated in our motion for consideration and it is clear that from the very beginning, for example, for the use of the unappropriated amounts, so we start from when he was a member of the House of Representatives and from there he became a member of the panel at the bicameral conference for the GAA of 2024 and from there he was appointed as the Department of Finance Secretary and of course we also know that he became the Acting Executive Secretary as of today. It means that in 2023, the insertion was done for the 2024 budget. Then he became the Executive Secretary. This is not an innocent transfer," Taton told reporters in a separate interview.

"We are looking at the greater picture of this entirety because if we will look into the appropriations bill and the law itself, we have to look into the acts prior, during that time and after... This [action] is not a mere incidental to the implementation of the GAA of 2024. We are saying that this is a deliberate act on the part of the Department of Finance Secretary. So there is a clear violation and prohibition according to the Constitution and the Universal Health Care Law," Taton added.

GMA News Online has reached out to Recto for comment and will publish once it is available. —VAL, GMA News