IN VIEW OF the President’s continuing purge of “inefficient” cabinet officials comes a call for the immediate resignation of Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa over multiple red flags — including frequent foreign travels.
If my memory serves me right, it was for the same reason that Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga was fired as Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
When he attended the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland, Herbosa tagged along a large Philippine delegation, including some supposedly non-essential personnel, which translates to bigger not-so-essential expenditure drawn from our taxes.
To be perfectly honest, Herbosa doesn’t need that many minions beside him. Afterall, the invitation says it all. It’s addressed to the Health Secretary – unless the President has appointed multiple department chiefs.
‘In a country where hungry Filipinos end up in jail over a loaf of bread, the group who claims strong connections with Secretary Herbosa should be slapped with the fullest extent of the law.’
FREE WORLD TOUR
Herbosa flew to a long list of countries for what he claimed as official foreign travel.
Aside from the free world tour, his name is also being dragged by a group claiming strong connection with the DOH chief. Their scheme — recycling COA-flagged expired medicines.
Previously, these expired medicines found their way to Bacacay town in the province of Albay — and perhaps to many other poor localities which could hardly afford to buy medicines for their health centers.
Admittedly, distributing expired medicines is despicable as the act in itself compromises public safety. It’s criminal liability under the existing laws.
Interestingly, these medicines form part of the P11-billion worth of drugs, medicine, and supplies that was flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA). In short, bayad na yun.
According to sources, these expired medicines were “recycled” and presented as newly-procured ones for distribution to the barrios.
Local government units (LGUs) and health facilities which previously refused to accept these medicines were made to believe that what they got were new and potent ones.
For one, wasting even a single peso of public money isn’t acceptable but finding ways to make use of something that is no longer safe to consume should never be an option to prevent wastage.
ACCOUNTABILITY
In a country where hungry Filipinos end up in jail over a loaf of bread, the group who claims strong connections with Secretary Herbosa should be slapped with the fullest extent of the law.
The Health Secretary should also be made accountable for something that was committed under his very nose. But if he has a little decency left under his sleeves, he should consider stepping down.