DOH chief resigns – sources

MANILA, Philippines - Health Secretary Enrique Ona has submitted his resignation letter to President Aquino, sources revealed yesterday.

However, the source could not say whether Aquino accepted the resignation. He had told journalists in Busan, South Korea last week that Ona was still being investigated on various issues.

The source said the letter was submitted early this week but did not provide other details.

Earlier, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said he had no information on whether Ona indeed resigned since he had packed his belongings at the Department of Health (DOH).

According to the source, the cases were more about command responsibility or ministerial duties rather than corruption, as well as other issues raised by groups that Ona dealt with.

The source said Ona was given a number of opportunities to explain, contrary to perception that Aquino treated him differently from the other Cabinet members who were implicated in controversies or even Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima.

Lacierda said the reports on Ona’s cases were voluminous and these were not the only things that Aquino had to deal with.

“He has just arrived from Busan and there are other important matters also that he is looking into. But you can be assured that the President is looking into the report,” Lacierda said.

A spokesman for the DOH, however, said Ona remains on leave.

“As far as the DOH is concerned, officially secretary is still on leave. Also, that is the announcement of Malacañang,” spokesman Lyndon Lee Suy said yesterday.

Ona’s month-long leave of absence was supposed to end last Oct. 28 but presidential deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte had announced the leave had been extended.

On Monday, Ona called his office to gather his personal belongings and had them sent to his home in Pasig City, fueling talks that he was out of the DOH.

Malacañang, however, has not been clear on Ona’s status but DOH Undersecretary Janette Garin had been designated as acting secretary, not as officer-in-charge, an indication of a change in leadership.

Ona could not be reached for comment while Garin would not answer questions about his status.

Ona was apparently forced to take a month-long leave of absence following President Aquino’s irritation over the vaccine issue and allocation request.

Ona defended himself over the allegations in an affidavit submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Monday.

He justified the purchase of the pneumonia vaccine PCV 10, saying the government was able to save more than P200 million.

“My decision to purchase PCV 10 has allowed the Philippine government to realize savings of P231,720,401.00 (P833,670,642.00 for PCV 13 vs. P601,950,241.00 for PCV 10) and also enabled the DOH to increase the original number of beneficiaries from 300,000 to 423,000 infants,” Ona’s affidavit read.

Ona is under fire for the allegedly dubious purchase of PCV 10, which some experts claimed was less cost-effective than PCV 13.

Ona, however, said “the primary objective in procuring PCV 10 instead of 13 was to enable the DOH to optimize limited government resources and to have the most number of infant beneficiaries but still achieve the best possible health outcomes. –  Aie Balagtas See