Manila: Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa continues to enjoy the trust of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Malaca±ang stated Friday, despite several complaints filed against him before the Ombudsman. The complaints allege Herbosa's close ties to a pharmaceutical company and possible backdoor influence benefiting a single bidder.
According to Philippines News Agency, Press Officer Claire Castro, in a Palace briefing, confirmed that the complaints are still under review. 'Ngayon po, maia-assume natin na he still enjoys the trust of the President. Tingnan po natin kung ito po ay na-receive na po ng Ombudsman, at hayaan po natin ang Ombudsman na mag-imbestiga po rito (For now, it can be assumed that he still enjoys the trust of the President. Let's see if this has been received by the Ombudsman, and let the Ombudsman investigate),' Castro stated.
Castro also addressed former Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio's concerns about the legality of Executive Secretary and former Finance chief Ralph Recto's decision to transfer trust fund balances from PhilHealth and the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC). She clarified that Recto, in his capacity as former head of the Department of Finance (DOF), acted within legal boundaries, emphasizing that the agency's actions had prior approval from relevant government bodies.
'So, sumunod lamang po ang DOF sa pinag-uutos na naaayon po, in line with the GAA [General Appropriations Act] 2024 (So, the DOF only followed the authorized instructions in line with the GAA 2024),' she explained. When questioned about whether these transfers represented an undue delegation of authority, Castro reiterated that the DOF's actions were in compliance with the law.
'Muli, sumusunod lamang po sa batas. Kung mayroon mang unconstitutional dito, tingnan po natin kung iyong provision mismo sa GAA 2024 ay magiging isyu (Again, they only followed the law. If there is any unconstitutional issue, we should look at whether the provision in the 2024 GAA itself becomes an issue),' Castro concluded.
