The situation, in brief
Health Secretary Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa and 16 other Department of Health officials were slapped Tuesday afternoon with a fresh batch of criminal and administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman — this time over more than P1.4 billion worth of medicines and vaccines that allegedly…
Health Secretary Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa and 16 other Department of Health officials were slapped Tuesday afternoon with a fresh batch of criminal and administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman — this time over more than P1.4 billion worth of medicines and vaccines that allegedly expired under their watch, the latest in a growing pile of legal troubles besetting the agency.
A group identifying themselves as “concerned Department of Health personnel” filed the complaint, charging Herbosa and his co-respondents with graft, serious dishonesty, and serious misconduct.
The complainants alleged that billions of pesos worth of government-procured medicines and vaccines were wasted after expiring due to negligence and mismanagement, and that a cover-up was carried out to keep the public from finding out.
Along with the charges, the complainants asked the Ombudsman to place Herbosa and all co-respondents under preventive suspension to prevent them from influencing the investigation — a request consistent with the gravity of the allegations being laid out before the anti-graft body.
Tuesday’s filing is the latest in a cascading series of legal challenges confronting Herbosa and the DOH.
Earlier complaints filed before the Ombudsman by groups of concerned DOH employees had already raised alarms over P1.29 billion transferred to UNICEF for vaccines and essential drugs that allegedly remained unliquidated beyond required timelines, P44.6 million worth of psychiatric medications allegedly allocated to a private civic group instead of government health facilities, and a P98-million health promotion radio contract that complainants said blurred the line between public service and self-promotion.
Infrastructure deals have also drawn scrutiny. According to an exclusive Rappler report, DOH Undersecretary Glenn Mathew Baggao’s brother, through EGB Construction, secured at least P140.99 million worth of health infrastructure projects in 2025, including super health centers and district hospitals. Baggao was later assigned to oversee health service clusters in Luzon where several of those projects are located, raising conflict-of-interest concerns.
The complaints have also surfaced accounts of internal dysfunction.
A group of concerned DOH employees alleged before the Ombudsman an “unprecedented wave” of transfers, arbitrary designations, and reversals of orders — some issued and amended within days — saying that “transfers and demotions are wielded as weapons” against officials and staff.
Senator Joel Villanueva separately raised concerns over Herbosa’s 19 foreign trips since 2023, calling for closer scrutiny of the agency as procurement delays and reports of expired medicines piled up at home.
The fresh complaint filed Tuesday brings the DOH corruption crisis into sharper focus, with the allegation of a deliberate cover-up adding a new and more serious dimension to what had previously been framed largely as mismanagement. Complainants are asking not just for accountability but for the immediate removal of the officials from their posts while the investigation proceeds.
As of posting, Herbosa had not issued a public statement on the latest charges. The DOH has previously denied wrongdoing in connection with earlier complaints, maintaining that allegations from anonymous groups should not be taken at face value.
