Concerned employees from the Department of Health (DOH) filed a petition before the Office of the Ombudsman requesting that it investigate Secretary Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa and two other agency officials over blatant interference with the procurement of ₱1.8 billion worth of mobile primary care facility units.

In a letter submitted to the anti-graft body, the employees accused Herbosa, Executive Assistant Atty. Brigida Romualdez-Aquino, and Executive Assistant IV Dr. Allan Tope of violating Republic Act (RA) 12009 or the New Government Procurement Act and RA 3019, also known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The three officials, who are not members of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) repeatedly interfered with the procurement process—the supply, delivery, testing, and commissioning—of the 150 mobile primary care facilities to be purchased, reported RH 5 Val Gonzales.

Herbosa, through Tope, openly altered the contract’s Terms of Reference, insisting on using their version, the petitioners alleged.

The said officials will not be using the mobile facilities themselves, the complainants argued, so they have no technical basis for modifying the units’ specifications.

In addition, their records indicate that the supplier Herbosa has stood by is the same one linked to past failed procurements.

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has called for Herbosa’s resignation, berating the DOH for the delayed delivery of vaccines, which are close to expiring.