DOH chief Herbosa, 3 others face graft complaint over P1.8-B mobile clinics

MANILA, Philippines – Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa, Undersecretary Glenn Matthew Baggao, and two aides, are facing a graft complaint over the alleged rigging of the procurement of mobile primary care facilities worth P1.8 billion.

The complaint was filed with the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday, March 6, by a group of concerned DOH employees who asked to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation.

Also named as respondents are Herbosa’s head executive assistant Brigida Romualdez-Aquino and executive assistant Allan Tope.

The complainants accused the DOH officials of interfering with the preparation of the project’s terms of reference (TOR) and technical specifications to allegedly match the design of a preferred supplier, undermining the integrity of the competitive bidding process.

The complainants alleged that Herbosa and his aides intervened even though procurement rules state that the end-user or implementing unit must prepare technical specifications.

“Despite lacking authority to prepare or review the TOR, respondents intervened in the procurement process and substituted their own judgment,” the complaint said.

The complainants alleged the officials’ actions constitute bid rigging and undue influence under government procurement rules and may violate provisions of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Dispute over procurement specifications

The complaint said the Health Facilities Enhancement Program Management Office (HFEP-MO) had prepared an upgraded version of the TOR to address problems in earlier units. Proposed changes included equipment that can be used for children, guaranteed reagents, and improved workspace layouts.

But on November 12, 2025, Romualdez-Aquino and Tope allegedly endorsed a “market study” proposing different specifications for the mobile clinics.

The complainants alleged that these revisions were “tailor-fitted” and not based on technical recommendations.

The pre-procurement conference was later postponed, and officials allegedly demanded revisions to align the TOR with directives from the health secretary’s office rather than the technical team’s proposal.

Concerns over non-functional units

The complaint also mentioned issues about the previously deployed mobile clinics.

In an October 2025 memorandum, then-DOH official Mary Ann Palermo-Maestral reported that only about 25% of the distributed mobile primary care units were functioning as intended across 83 provinces, the complainants said.

Local reports cited in the complaint said units in several areas — including Cotabato, Bukidnon, Camiguin, and parts of the Davao Region — were non-functional. Other areas like Siquijor and Zamboanga del Norte allegedly could not use the equipment because they lacked reagents or trained personnel.

Despite these findings, the complainants alleged that Herbosa pushed forward with the new procurement and directed officials to follow specifications from his office instead of revisions prepared by technical teams.

The complaint also alleged that DOH Undersecretary Gregorio Murillo Jr., who had been designated as the end-user representative for the project, was later removed from his post after opposing the changes to the TOR.

Baggao was subsequently appointed to head the HFEP-MP, a move the complainants claim helped advance the revised specifications.

The complainants also asked the Office of the Ombudsman to place the top DOH officials under preventive suspension.

DOH responds

DOH spokesperson Albert Domingo said that the agency has yet to receive any official complaints from the Ombudsman.
“The truth is far from what anonymous groups can easily allege without accountability,” Domingo said in response to a Rappler query on Tuesday, March 10.
In November 2025, anonymous DOH employees wrote the Office of the Ombudsman to request an investigation into the same allegations. – Rappler.com