Philippine medical societies have urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Congress to increase funding for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and to phase out the Department of Health’s Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program. The groups called for reallocating resources to strengthen PhilHealth as the primary vehicle for public health financing, particularly for indigent and financially incapacitated patients. They plan to submit formal position papers and engage with lawmakers and agencies to manage a transition that avoids service disruption while consolidating government support for medical care under a single, adequately funded national health insurance system.

Duterte’s lawyers have asked ICC judges to reject a court-appointed medical panel’s finding that the former Philippine president is fit for pre-trial proceedings, arguing that his short-term memory impairment prevents him from meaningfully instructing counsel and following complex hearings. The defense filing cites alleged contradictions in the experts’ reports, questions their evidentiary standards, and claims the panel failed to fully consider detention staff observations and Duterte’s co-morbid conditions. The defense requested an evidentiary hearing to question the experts before the ICC rules on Duterte’s fitness.