September 8, 2026
Pohnpei — Acting Governor Herolyn S. Movick has line-item vetoed a $171,000 appropriation for “Emergency Medical Referrals” following the emergency air evacuation of Pohnpei State Senator Sonster Edgar to the Philippines, saying the appropriation would use public money for a private benefit and bypass established medical referral procedures.
The veto followed several days of public concern over the evacuation and the Legislature’s attempt to appropriate money from the Health Care Premium Fund after arrangements for the evacuation had already been made.
The controversy has also drawn attention to Pohnpei’s broader medical referral situation. The Kaselehlie Press has been informed that more than 80 patients are currently awaiting medical referrals to the Philippines. Against that backdrop, the use of a private air ambulance for a sitting senator, and the Legislature’s subsequent $171,000 appropriation, have prompted complaints from members of the public about whether ordinary patients have equal access to the State’s limited health care resources.
The Pohnpei State Government first publicly addressed the matter in an August 28 statement, saying Senator Edgar had been evacuated to St. Luke’s Medical Center in the Philippines and that questions had arisen over whether Pohnpei’s established medical referral procedures had been followed.
According to the administration, the State has an established process for patients who require treatment at an off-island health care facility. A referring physician presents the case to the State Medical Referral Committee. If approved, the referral proceeds through the State Hospital Director and undergoes medical, utilization, and financial reviews before final action and selection of an appropriate off-island facility.
The administration said that, based on information available to it, there were questions about whether that process was followed in Edgar’s case.
The legislative action began August 19 during the 29th Special Session of the 11th Pohnpei Legislature, when a floor amendment was introduced to appropriate $171,000 from the Health Care Premium Fund for “Emergency Medical Referrals.” The Legislature adopted L.B. No. 478-26 the following day, and the Governor’s Office received the bill August 21.
According to the August 28 statement, the emergency evacuation occurred before the Governor’s Office had completed its review of the circumstances, consulted appropriate executive agencies, or completed the constitutional process for considering the bill.
The administration emphasized that the bill had not yet become law and that the $171,000 had not been disbursed. It said no financial commitments should be made based on an appropriation that had not become law.
The Department of Health and Social Services did provide ground support for Edgar’s evacuation, including State ambulance services and personnel to transport Edgar and his attendant to the airport. The administration specifically said, however, that the department did not charter the private air ambulance that arrived from the Philippines.
At that point, the administration said it was reviewing the medical referral, coordination among State officials and legislative leaders, the legislative action, and related financial matters.
The administration took a substantially stronger position several days later.
On September 1, Acting Governor Movick formally notified Speaker Marvin T. Yamaguchi and the 11th Pohnpei Legislature that she had exercised her line-item veto authority under Article 8, Section 13(4) of the Pohnpei Constitution to strike the $171,000 appropriation from the bill.
According to the administration, the veto was based on legal findings by the Office of the Attorney General.
The first concerned the Pohnpei Constitution’s requirement that public money be appropriated only for public purposes. The administration said the $171,000 appropriation was directed toward “a single identifiable person” to pay what it described as a “pre-committed private expense,” supported by an air ambulance quotation for one patient.
The Attorney General’s review concluded that such an appropriation violated the constitutional public-purpose requirement.
The administration also said the appropriation failed to comply with statutory requirements governing medical referrals. It cited Pohnpei law requiring health funds to be administered by the Director of Health and Social Services and medical referrals to undergo committee review and approval.
According to the September 1 statement, legislative records showed no medical committee evaluation and an absence of legislative analysis or deliberation concerning the appropriation. The administration characterized the Legislature’s action as an attempt by the Legislative Branch to perform an administrative function.
Movick also cited the potential effect on the Health Care Premium Fund itself.
The administration said withdrawing $171,000 for a single event that had already occurred would create fiscal risk for the restricted fund, potentially jeopardizing establishment of the Pohnpei Health Care Plan and reducing reserves available for future emergency medical evacuations.
“Public funds at all times must serve the broader public interest rather than be used to satisfy pre-committed private expenses that bypass established medical referral procedures,” Movick said. “The power of legislative appropriation is intended to advance a public purpose, not to confer a private benefit.”
The sequence of events has become an important part of the public debate.
The Legislature approved the appropriation, but the private medical evacuation took place before the appropriation became law and before the Executive Branch had completed its review. The administration subsequently said the money had not been disbursed and that the Department of Health and Social Services had not chartered the aircraft.
Neither of the administration’s statements identifies who arranged for the private air ambulance, who made any financial commitment for the aircraft, or who currently bears responsibility for its cost.
Those unanswered questions have contributed to public concern, particularly among families of Pohnpei residents who have been waiting for approval or funding for off-island medical care.
The August 28 statement acknowledged those concerns and said the administration was reviewing the circumstances surrounding the evacuation, including the medical referral, coordination among State officials and legislative leaders, legislative action, and financial matters. It said appropriate legal and administrative action would be taken based on the findings.
The September 1 veto prevents the $171,000 line item from becoming law unless the Legislature takes further action under the procedures provided by the Pohnpei Constitution.
As of The Kaselehlie Press’s reporting for this article, the Legislature had not taken action to override the line-item veto that the newspaper could confirm.
The Legislature’s response, and answers concerning who authorized or committed to paying for the air ambulance before an appropriation existed, remain outstanding.
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