Herbosa suspended? Ombudsman mum

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman has maintained its silence after reportedly ordering the preventive suspension of Department of Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa who is facing graft cases along with other DOH officials.

Ombudsman

Health Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said Herbosa and DOH other officials attended the House of Representatives hearing on the budget for public health.

Graft charges have been filed against Herbosa and other DOH officials, stemming from P44.6 million worth of drugs allocated to the Rotary Club of Quezon City Circle.

The group has no authority or license to dispense psychiatric medicines.

Herbosa is also facing charges of graft, malversation of public funds and falsification of public documents over P1.29 billion in alleged unliquidated funds transferred in 2024 to the United Nations Children’s Fund for the supposed procurement of vaccines and essential drugs.

The complainants identified themselves as concerned DOH personnel and health care governance advocates.

Herbosa also allegedly committed “excessive and inordinate delays” in resolving procurement protests for vaccines and medicines.

Citing a Commission on Audit memorandum, the complainants said there were protests involving P1.2 billion worth of pneumococcal and polio vaccines, which remained unresolved as of June 11.

Protests filed by a certain firm, meanwhile, were immediately resolved, they pointed out.

“These patterns raise legitimate and serious concerns that Herbosa’s conduct either favored certain bidders or punished others, in a manner grossly detrimental to fair competition and public welfare,” the complainants said. – Mayen Jaymalin