The Supreme Court has affirmed a choice of the Commission on Audit (COA) disallowing the grant of allowances and incentives amounting to P15 million to workers of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
In a 19-page determination, the SC en banc denied a petition filed by PhilHealth searching for to difficulty a short lived restraining order in opposition to a choice of COA.
COA, in its determination, had affirmed the notices of disallowance on PhilHealth’s fee of transportation allowance, undertaking completion incentive, and academic help value P15 million to its common and contractual workers.
“The COA correctly upheld the NDs in view of the lack of legal basis for the grant of transportation allowance, project completion incentive, and educational assistance allowance,” the Court mentioned.
According to the Court, the fiscal autonomy of PhilHealth is just not absolute and can’t be the idea for the granting of advantages.
“Consistent thereto, we reiterated that [PhilHealth’s] fiscal autonomy is not absolute and affirmed the NDs pertaining to the contractor’s gift, special event gifts, project completion incentive, nominal gift, and birthday gifts granted by [PhilHealth],” it mentioned.
Further, the Court mentioned that recipients of disallowed public advantages and allowances can now not invoke good religion as their protection.
“Good faith is no longer a defense available to recipients, unlike approving officers. This Court views the receipt by the payees of disallowed benefits sa one by mistake, thus creating an obligation on their part to return the same,” the Court mentioned.
The determination, penned by Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda, was promulgated on September 27, 2022 however launched solely not too long ago.
In December 2022, the SC additionally affirmed a ruling of COA that disallowed PhilHealth’s issuance of P83 million to its officers and workers in 2014.—AOL, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
