Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, along with three other Department of Health (DOH) officials, is once again under scrutiny following a new complaint alleging irregularities in the procurement of mobile primary care facilities (MPCFs) valued at around P1.8 billion.
The nine-page complaint was submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday by a group identifying themselves as “concerned DOH employees,” who had previously raised allegations of misconduct against Herbosa.
The complaint also names Health Undersecretary Glen Matthew Baggao, head of the Health Facilities Enhancement Programs; Brigida Romualdez-Aquino, the secretary’s head executive assistant; and Allan Tope, Executive Assistant VI to the secretary.
The group is urging the Ombudsman to investigate Herbosa and the other officials for potential graft and violations of the New Government Procurement Act and its implementing rules and regulations (IRR), citing “serious irregularities” in the MPCF procurement process.
The complainants are seeking preventive suspension of the respondents, arguing that their continued positions pose a risk to the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
Allegations include claims of “conspiracy” and “bid rigging” in the MPCF procurement, which the report says violates the IRR of the New Government Procurement Act.
The complaint highlights several “red flags” regarding the MPCFs distributed across 83 provinces, referencing an October 2025 DOH memorandum that indicated only 25 percent of the units were functioning properly.
Issues were flagged in provinces including Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Davao de Oro, Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental, Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, and Misamis Oriental, where the units were reportedly non-functional. Similar problems were reported in Siquijor and Zamboanga del Norte, where MPCFs lacked necessary reagents and trained personnel.
The complaint asserts that Herbosa “deliberately disregarded the red flags,” allegedly instructing Undersecretary Gregorio Murillo Jr. to follow the terms of reference (TOR).
On November 7, 2025, Murillo transmitted the TOR, purchase requests, project procurement management plan, and related documents for the MPCFs, with an approved budget of P1.8 billion. These documents were evaluated by the Health Facility Enhancement Program Management Office (HFEP-MO), which found them “consistent with previous reports of non-functionality of the MPCFs.”
The complaint alleges that on November 12, 2025, Tope and Aquino endorsed a “market study” for technical specifications of 150 fully-equipped MPCFs, attempting to modify the TOR with “tailor-fitted/lock specifications.”
It further alleges that the respondents “indefinitely postponed” the pre-procurement conference and “demanded” revisions to the TOR to match Herbosa’s directives, rather than the updated version prepared by the HFEP technical team.
The HFEP-MO had designed the TOR to address deficiencies noted in a DOH report, including adult-only X-ray capabilities, reagent shortages, and limited workspace for lab and X-ray procedures. Proposed revisions aimed to add pediatric X-ray capabilities, ensure reliable reagent supply, and improve workspace layouts.
The complaint claims Herbosa removed Murillo from his post for advocating upgraded facilities meeting safety and dignity standards, resulting in Baggao’s appointment as head of the HFEP-MO.
The allegations conclude that the respondents exceeded their authority, interfering with the procurement process, overriding Murillo’s decisions, and asserting control over the procurement framework.
“Instead of respecting the boundaries of his office, respondent Herbosa exploited his position to dominate the procurement process, directing his most trusted aides—Romualdez-Aquino and Tope—to compel procurement employees to alter the terms of reference for the project,” the complaint states. (Nexus News, Views & Features)
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