Graft charges were filed on Tuesday (March 31) against Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and 16 other Department of Health officials over the alleged expiration and non-delivery of some PhP1.4 billion worth of medicines and medical supplies.

In a complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman, the Concerned DOH Personnel accused the DOH executives of failing to distribute essential medicines that were later discovered to have expired and gone to waste in government warehouses.

Among these medicines were HIV antiretrovirals, psychiatric medications and vaccines.

Aside from Herbosa the following were named respondents in the complaint: Undersecretaries Randy Escolango and Gloria Balbowa; OIC-Director David Masiado, Dr. Anna Marie Celine Garfin, Dr. Adriano Suba-an, Dr. Cherylle Gavino, Dr. Maria Joyce Ducusin, Dr. Hardy Dumawing, Dr. Carmela Granada, Dr. Jan Drek Junio, Dr. Carmina Paz Vera, Dr. Jessa Joy Malipot, mark Anthony Dizon, Liezl Fernandez, Mary Grace Bautista and Jennifer Rabino.

Aside from the criminal complaints, the DOH executives also face administrative charges for Serious Dishonesty, Grave Misconduct and Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of Public Service.

Also including among the trashed medicines were PhP68 million worth of medical supplies and 1.2 million cycles of family planning drugs and psychiatric injectables.

Also included in the case was the non-delivery of PhP1.3 billion worth of vaccines as of January 2026.

According to the complainants Herbosa and his fellow officials should also be blamed for the non-delivery of 1.6 million tables of HIV antiretrivirals due to the failure of DOH executives to sign the orders.

They claimed that the respondents’ inaction and delinquency resulted in a transition of the much-needed drugs from “life-saving medicine into ‘dead stock.’”

“The collective failure to exercise the ‘diligence of a good father’ of a family constitutes criminal dereliction of duty and a direct violation of the public trust,” the complaint read.