00:00The Office of the Solicitor General or OSG defended the transfer of 89.9 billion pesos
00:06from PhilHealth to the National Treasury stating it was not illegal nor was it unconstitutional.
00:13Solicitor General Minardo Guevara explained the move was to address unused PhilHealth funds
00:20and redirect them to government projects rather than increasing the country's national debt.
00:27Guevara also emphasized that the funds were not reserved funds but unused allocation that
00:32could still benefit the country. The OSG requested that President Ferdinand Marquez, Jr. be removed
00:39as a respondent in the petition as sitting presidents could not be sued. Meanwhile,
00:44petitioners from Bayan Muna and other groups protested outside the Supreme Court calling for
00:50the funds to be returned to PhilHealth for health care use. The next oral arguments are set for
00:57February 25. I would like to fully ask the Honorable Court to drop President Ferdinand
01:04Marquez, Jr. as party respondent. The President of the Republic cannot be sued during his tenure.
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