6 hours ago
5
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star
March 7, 2026 | 12:00am
Secretary Teodoro Herbosa
MANILA, Philippines — High-ranking officials of the Department of Health (DOH) including Secretary Teodoro Herbosa are being accused of bid-rigging over alleged irregularities in plans to upgrade non-functional mobile health facilities in the provinces, mostly in Mindanao.
The “Concerned DOH Employees,” who requested anonymity, filed a complaint against Herbosa, his head executive assistant Brigida Romualdez-Aquino, Executive Assistant VI Allan Tope and Undersecretary Glen Matthew Baggao for violating Sections 3 (a) and (e) of the Anti-Graft Practices Act (RA 3019), and Sections 92 (c) and (g) of the New Government Procurement Act (RA 12009), as well as Sections 7.7.1, 11 and 42 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 12009 arising from serious irregularities in the procurement of Mobile Primary Care Facilities (MPCF).
They “quietly” filed the complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday, a source told The STAR.
According to the complaint, Tope and Romualdez-Aquino in November 2025 “endorsed a ‘market study’ containing the technical specifications for the procurement of 150 units of fully-equipped Mobile Primary Care Facilities (and) attempted to modify the TOR (terms of reference) with ‘tailor-fitted/lock specifications.’”
Days after, the agency also “indefinitely postponed the pre-procurement conference and demanded a revision of the TOR to match Herbosa’s directives instead of the HFEP (Health Facilities Enhancement Program) technical team’s upgraded version.”
The instances happened shortly after former DOH undersecretary Gregorio Murillo Jr. “transmitted the TOR, purchase request and project procurement management plan and related procurement documents for the acquisition of the MPCFs with an approved budget for the contract amounting to P1.8 billion to the Procurement Service.”
The recommendation was based on a report within the DOH in October 2025 that discovered non-functional MPCFs, mostly in Mindanao.
Murillo was later allegedly “removed” by Herbosa “because he chose to advocate for upgraded facilities that complied with safety and dignity standards” and was replaced by Baggao.
The complainants accused Herbosa, Romualdez-Aquino, Tope and Baggao of conspiracy in “committing bid rigging in the procurement of DOH Mobile Primary Care Facility Project through undue interference and manipulation of technical specifications or terms of reference.”
They asked the ombudsman to look into the alleged irregularities and “issue preventive suspension” against Herbosa, Romualdez-Aquino, Tope and Baggao, preserve all records of procurement and order a forensic examination of digital communications among them.
