Senator Pia Cayetano voiced strong support on June 15 for upholding the mandated allocation of sin tax revenues to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), following PhilHealth’s zero budget in the 2025 national appropriations.
She joined groups who filed a petition before the Supreme Court claiming the government violated Republic Act 11346 by failing to allocate sin tax funds to PhilHealth and sought the remittance of unaccounted shares since 2019.
Cayetano emphasized that the sin tax law requires a portion of revenues from tobacco and sugary drinks to fund PhilHealth services, calling failure to comply a legal violation and a disservice to vulnerable Filipinos.
She also raised concerns during budget deliberations over the removal of government subsidy for PhilHealth and signed the 2025 budget report with reservations.
While acknowledging the need for fiscal discipline, Cayetano insisted it must not justify neglecting legally mandated funds essential for millions of Filipinos relying on PhilHealth coverage.
Source: PhilNews24 | June 16, 2025
