Manila, Feb. 4 -- The Office of the Solicitor General on Tuesday defended before the Supreme Court (SC) the transfer of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) funds to the national treasury.

During oral arguments, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said the fund transfer was a "temporary measure to address -- within legal bounds -- concerns on fund availability for important government programs and projects under the Philippine system of government."

"I assure the Honorable Court and the people that, contrary to what has been portrayed by some critics, there was no dark or sinister plan behind the transfer of the PHP60 billion fund balance from PhilHealth to the treasury," Guevarra told the high court.

He also asked, as a proce...