Executive Secretary said “common sense” guided the decision to transfer ₱60 billion in PhilHealth funds to the National Treasury. Common sense daw. But let’s be brutally honest: calling it “common sense” does not make it wise—it only exposes how outrageous and irrational the move truly was. At a time when hospitals are collapsing, premiums are rising, and ordinary Filipinos are drowning in medical bills, the government thought it was perfectly acceptable to strip PhilHealth of resources meant for the sick and struggling. Sana all may ganitong “common sense”—yung tipong kahit mali, ipipilit pa rin.
Let’s call it what it was: “a self-serving, ill-conceived decision” masquerading as fiscal prudence. Sinabi pang practical. Practical for whom/what? For the government’s fiscal image? For budget gymnastics meant to hide their own mismanagement? Because it certainly wasn’t practical for the cancer patient waiting for chemotherapy, the senior citizen relying on dialysis, or the minimum-wage earner terrified of hospital bills. The administration gambled with people’s lives—and dared to justify it with a straight face.
The Supreme Court’s 15-0 decision to order the return of the ₱60 billion was not just a legal correction—it was a public slap. Hindi ito simpleng “oops, nagkamali kami.” This was a unanimous, resounding condemnation of an act so reckless that not a single justice found it defensible. Think about that: in a polarized country, the Supreme Court managed to agree unanimously that the government crossed a line. That speaks volumes—not only about the illegality of the move, but also about its moral bankruptcy.
And yet, here comes the narrative: “common sense.” As if the public is too slow to understand the damage. As if slapping a simple label on a disastrous decision will magically erase accountability. But the public is not stupid. Hindi ito maitatago sa magarbong salita o technical justification. What happened was not common sense—it was common betrayal, committed against millions who pay their premiums faithfully and expect the government to protect them, not strip their health fund to the bone.
In the end, this is not just about money—it is about priorities. It is about a government that seems more interested in plugging its fiscal holes than protecting the vulnerable. It is about leaders who speak of “common sense” while displaying everything but. And it is about a public that must refuse to accept insanity disguised as logic. Kung ito ang tawag nilang common sense, then God help us—because the people deserve far better than leaders who treat public health like a piggy bank they can raid at will.
“Common sense is not a defense – if anything, it only exposes how insane the decision truly was.”
