NOT even an economic slump seemed enough to stop Department of Health Secretary Ted Herbosa from satisfying what looks more like a crave for junkets in the guise of an assembly.
In a newscast aired over the Bilyonaryo News Channel, employees of the agency headed by Herbosa called on the Senate to consider launching a “congressional investigation in aid of legislation” against Herbosa whom they accused of grave abuse of authority and graft.
The unnamed employees said the DOH chief tagged along 14 other DOH officials to Switzerland for a 10-day World Health Assembly, headed by Herbosa himself.
As to the relevance and specific roles of the delegation to the World Health Organization’s decision making body, no one at DOH could clearly say.
Worse, the DOH employees claimed that Herbosa included Assistant Secretary Mylene Beltran in the delegation “as a birthday gift.”
A special personnel department order signed by Health Undersecretary Albert Domingo stated that all expenses – round trip ticket, hotel billeting, local travel taxes for all 14 plus Herbosa and allowances amounting to at least P5.26 million – will be charged to the DOH budget.
Domingo forms part of Herbosa’s delegation.
Senator Joel Villanueva previously flagged Herbosa for 19 foreign travels from the time he was appointed as Health Secretary in 2023..
“If we are talking about statistics just like in basketball, that’s one travel every two months. The numbers speak for themselves,” Villanueva said.
In recent months, corruption allegations have piled up against Herbosa. Some DOH employees have accused him of a conflict of interest, claiming he crossed the line by keeping cozy social ties with Zuellig Pharma even as the company was allegedly an active bidder for DOH projects.
Then there is the P1.29 billion money trail, for which DOH employees asked the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate, with the cash transfer to UNICEF for vaccines and essential medicines that they alleged remained unliquidated from February 2024 to July 30, 2024.
The employees also claimed that while that amount was still unaccounted for, Herbosa approved another UNICEF vaccine purchase worth P524.9 million, a move they say violated Commission on Audit rules and a DOH memorandum barring new fund transfers until earlier ones are liquidated.
Herbosa is taking heat over claims that P98 million in public funds went to a DZMM program produced by Media Serbisyo Production Corporation, owned by Franco Reyes, the husband of DOH Health Promotion Bureau Director Tina Marasigan.
Herbosa, Marasigan, and Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo are listed as anchors of the show on the radio station owned by Martin.