Herbosa skips Senate’s hearing on DOH’s proposed 2024 budget

Dr. Ted Herbosa on Thursday did not attend the Senate finance committee’s deliberations on the proposed 2024 budget of the Department of Health (DOH), days after his ad interim appointment as secretary was bypassed by the Commission on Appointments (CA).

Senator Francis Tolentino questioned Herbosa’s absence as only DOH undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, and heads of DOH’s attached agencies were present during the ongoing budget briefing.

“Administratively, who is in charge? Who will take the cudgels in defending the budget of this big department? We don’t have a secretary here,” Tolentino asked.

“Who is going to present? Is there an acting secretary? Is there an officer-in-charge who will be responsible for all these budget presentations, madam Chair? Otherwise we’re talking to a clustered group of individuals,” he added.

Herbosa’s name was noted on the guestlist for the budget briefing, a copy of which was provided by the Senate to the members of the media.

GMA News Online asked the DOH and Herbosa himself why he was absent during the budget deliberations.

“Because I was bypassed by the CA and will have to wait for my reappointment papers,” Herbosa told GMA News Online.

He also confirmed that Health Undersecretary Lilibeth David, who serves as the most senior executive of the department, will automatically be the officer-in-charge of DOH.

Aside from David, among the DOH officials present in the deliberations were Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire and Undersecretary and chief of staff Gloria Balboa.

‘Not headless’

With this, Committee senior vice-chair Senator Pia Cayetano stressed that the DOH is not headless.

“Actually all of the senior members of the team approached me a while ago and they acknowledged that of course, it is a bit of an awkward situation,” Cayetano said.

“But as you all know, Usec Dr. Vergeire was the OIC for many years and was very actively exercising her leadership not just in the past year, but even during the time of President Duterte. Usec. Dr. David is the most senior undersecretary. So I’m quite confident in the presentation today that they can answer,” she continued.

The CA committee on health on Tuesday suspended the confirmation of Herbosa’s appointment due to “lack of material time.”

Following this development, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. may have to reappoint Herbosa, three months after he was first appointed as Health secretary.

In an interview on Tuesday, Senator Bong Go, chairperson of the health panel of the bicameral body, explained that the CA committee suspended the deliberations as many lawmakers have yet to question Herbosa.

“Wala naman pong opposition or any written opposition, wala naman po,” Go said. (There’s no opposition or any written opposition.)

Asked if Herbosa will be reappointed by the President, Go said, “‘Pag natapos ang regular session namin. ‘Di ko lang po alam kung kelan muli isaslang. ‘Di pa nakapag-decide. Magko-convene muli ang CA.”

(When our regular session ends. I just don't know when he’ll undergo deliberations again. We haven’t decided yet. The CA will reconvene.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News