Cardinal David calls P51-B medical aid budget a "health pork barrel"

Kalookan Bishop Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David has denounced the increased budget for the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program as a violation of human dignity and a "health pork barrel."

Cardinal David criticized the system where the poor must beg for assistance that they are entitled to, highlighting that reliance on political endorsement for healthcare access is morally wrong.

The bicameral conference committee recently approved a P51 billion budget for MAIFIP for the upcoming year, an increase from the current P42 billion.

Civil society watchdogs have also raised concerns, viewing the budget hike as a potential avenue for pork barrel spending and patronage.

David pointed out that the MAIFIP program's reliance on guarantee letters from politicians gives them undue control over the distribution of aid.