The Office of the Ombudsman has junked the criminal and administrative complaints filed against Executive Secretary Ralph Recto and other officials over the transfer of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) reserve funds to the national treasury.
In a resolution dated June 2, the Ombudsman said the complaints lacked sufficient prima facie evidence to establish a reasonable certainty of conviction.
The case stemmed from allegations questioning the legality of the transfer of PhilHealth reserve funds to the national government. Critics had claimed that the transfer may have been carried out without proper legal basis.
The anti-graft body, however, found that the evidence submitted was not enough to support the filing of criminal or administrative charges against Recto and his co-respondents.
According to the resolution, the complainants failed to present adequate proof to sustain their allegations.
The Ombudsman stressed that accusations alone, without substantial evidence, are insufficient to establish probable cause.
With the ruling, all related complaints against Recto and the other officials involved in the fund transfer have been dismissed.
The decision comes as public debate continues over the handling and use of PhilHealth funds, particularly its reserve allocations and transfers to the national treasury.