Marilyn Cahatol

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., along with Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gachalian, Department of Health Secretary Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, and other government officials, discuss the country's proposed reforms to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) cash grants during a sectoral meeting in Malacañang Palace on Tuesday, June 10, 2024.  Ryan Baldemor, PPA pool

Article (news)

MARCOS- MEETING

Kaxandra Salonga

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177494227791620240611-marcos-dswd-sectoral-meeting-PPA01.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., along with Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gachalian, Department of Health Secretary Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, and other government officials, discuss the country&#x27;s proposed reforms to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) cash grants during a sectoral meeting in Malacañang Palace on Tuesday, June 10, 2024. Ryan Baldemor, PPA pool "/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., along with Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gachalian, Department of Health Secretary Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, and other government officials, discuss the country&#x27;s proposed reforms to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) cash grants during a sectoral meeting in Malacañang Palace on Tuesday, June 10, 2024.<em> Ryan Baldemor, PPA pool </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — A group of healthcare advocates filed a graft complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and 16 other DOH officials over the alleged wastage of more than P1.4 billion worth of medications.</p><p>The complaint, filed Tuesday by the Concerned Department of Health Personnel, claimed that the respondents failed to distribute essential drugs, including HIV antiretrovirals, psychiatric medications and vaccines, which later expired in warehouses.</p><p>It alleged that P68 million worth of commodities had already expired, including 1.2 million cycles of family planning drugs and psychiatric injectables, P1.3 billion worth of undelivered vaccines as of January 2026, and 1.6 million tablets of HIV antiretrovirals that reportedly reached “terminal status” while awaiting executive signatures.</p><p>“The respondents did not merely commit a clerical error; they demonstrated a &#x27;conscious indifference to consequences&#x27; by allowing… resources to transition from life-saving medicine into &#x27;dead stock,&#x27;&quot; the complaint read.</p><p>“This collective failure to exercise the &#x27;diligence of a good father of a family&#x27; constitutes a criminal dereliction of duty and a direct violation of the public trust,” it added.</p><p>The group further claimed that instead of authorizing emergency catch-up distribution plans, the DOH rushed the disposal of the medications, which it described as a “clandestine effort to contain the scandal” and limit media scrutiny over the wastage.</p><p>The complaint cited internal communications from the Office of the Secretary, including a message that read: “Sir ang dami pala expiring commodities ng DPBC, grabe… Pag ito nalaman ng media, patay na naman.”</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/30/doh-s-version-of-flood-control-scam-600-health-centers-but-only-200-operational-0821">DOH&#x27;s version of flood control scam? 600 health centers but only 200 operational</a></div><p>Aside from Herbosa, others named respondents in the complaint were DOH Undersecretaries Randy Escolango and Gloria Balboa, OIC-Director David Masiado, Dr. Anna Marie Celina Garfin, Dr. Adriano Suba-an, Dr. Cherylle Gavino, Dr. Maria Joyce Ducusin, Dr. Hardy Dumawing, Dr. Carmela Granada, Dr. Jan Derek Junio, Dr. Carmina Paz Vera, Dr. Jessa Joy Malipot, Mark Anthony Dizon, Liezl Fernandez, Mary Grace Bautista, and Jennifer Rabino.</p><p>They are also facing administrative complaints for Serious Dishonesty, Grave Misconduct, and Conduct Prejudicial to The Best Interest Of Public Service.</p><p>The group asked the Ombudsman to immediately place Herbosa and his co-respondents under preventive suspension to prevent them from intimidating witnesses or tampering with or suppressing evidence as the investigation proceeds.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/7/herbosa-denies-reports-of-looming-exit-as-doh-secretary-1419">Herbosa denies reports of looming exit as DOH Secretary</a></div><p>The Commission on Audit earlier flagged the health department in a 2024 report for <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/4/coa-flags-doh-over-mismanagement-in-expired-near-expiry-medical-supplies-1936">its &quot;mismanagement&quot; of P134.3 million in medical supplies</a> that had expired or were close to expiring</p><p>ABS-CBN News is reaching out to Herbosa for a statement on the matter.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YQ6cu6qDqIM?si=sjdnF71ex20DTKrn" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>A group of healthcare advocates filed a graft complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and 16 other DOH officials over the alleged wastage of more than P1.4 billion worth of medications.</p>

A group of healthcare advocates filed a graft complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and 16 other DOH officials over the alleged wastage of more than P1.4 billion worth of medications.

Herbosa, 16 other DOH officials face graft complaints over P1.4-B expired, undelivered meds

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Herbosa, 16 other DOH officials face graft complaints over P1.4-B expired, undelivered meds

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 31, 2026 03:36 PM PHT

Read More:

Ombudsman

Complaint

DOH

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