The Department of Finance (DOF) is prepared to answer questions on the legality of Department Circular 003-2024, which directs the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to transfer nearly P90 billion in unused government subsidies to the national treasury.

DOF Secretary Ralph Recto issued a statement on Friday saying that a petition has been filed with the Supreme Court challenging the transfer of the funds.

“While we have not yet received a copy of the petition and read its contents, we respect the rights of petitioners to seek clarification from the Supreme Court regarding the legality of PhilHealth’s unused subsidy (fund balance),” Recto said.

“The Department of Finance stands ready to answer any questions regarding the legality of DOF Department Circular 003-2024, which is an implementation of a directly mandatory congressional order under Section XLIII (1)(d) Republic Act No. 11975, or the General Appropriations Act 2024,” he added.