Graft raps filed vs Herbosa, two others over radio show

An anonymous graft complaint was filed on Tuesday before the Office of the Ombudsman against Health Secretary Ted Herbosa and two other health officials for allegedly using a government-funded radio program for their supposed personal benefit and publicity.

The unnamed complainants, who called themselves members of the Alliance for Clean and Transparent Government (ACTGov), filed an administrative complaint against Herbosa, Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo and Director Tina Marasigan for allegedly taking personal benefit from a P98 million contract for the DOH radio program.

“The law does not prohibit health promotion. What it prohibits is a public officer using public funds to generate a platform from which he himself benefits," they said in their 24-page complaint.

"The question is, was the P98 million radio program genuinely for public health promotion, or was it a publicly financed vehicle for Respondent Herbosa’s own media exposure and personal branding?” the group added.

In a statement, the DOH defended its radio program, saying the deals are above board.

"We have yet to receive a copy of the complaint from the Ombudsman. Nevertheless, all our anchoring and hosting duties are fully compliant with government rules and regulations,” said Domingo, who is also DOH spokesperson.

Domingo also downplayed the filing of the complaint: “There clearly is a pattern of repeated filing of complaints despite the circumstances being frivolous."

In a separate statement, Herbosa said the Department of Health’s delivery of transparent and reliable health information through the engagement of its officials and staff across various media platforms is well thought out and legal.

“These initiatives comply with government procurement laws and respect the specific media ethics of each broadcasting platform. Every Filipino has the right to health, which includes education and information on disease prevention and treatment,” he said.

Herbosa pointed out, however, that he has yet to receive a copy of the complaint.

"Nevertheless, all our anchoring and hosting duties are fully compliant with government rules and regulations. It appears that the complaints are frivolous claims designed to distract from factual and more pressing issues,” he said.

'Conflict of interest'

In their complaint, the group said that by acting as anchor of the radio show, Herbosa supposedly violated the constitutional ban preventing him from accepting other jobs aside from his Cabinet Secretary role, as well as other alleged violations.

The complaining DOH employees also argued that the agency's entry into the P98 million deal constitutes a clear conflict of interest, as Marasigan’s husband, Franco Reyes, is an executive of Media Serbisyo Production Corporation (MSPC), the content provider of the radio station.

“In fact, through the influence of the respondents, (the radio station) was awarded a P98 million contract for media placement in various platforms and a co-produced live program for the promotion of DOH health services and programs,” the complainants said.

Herbosa, Domingo and Marasigan allegedly showed "manifest partiality and evident bad faith" by "consciously maintaining conflicting roles as public officers and radio show anchors under (the radio station)." 

"Worse, the respondents spent P98 million from the DOH health promotion budget on a radio show to promote themselves. They did not merely approve a media program; they designed, funded, and personally occupied the platform created by public expenditure,” the complainants added.

They alleged that the three DOH officials, by using their office to create a government-funded broadcast space, positioned themselves as its principal personalities, which is “the clearest form of manifest partiality and evident bad faith.”

As a public official, Herbosa cannot assume the role of a radio host with funding from government, the complainants said.

“A Cabinet Secretary cannot have his pie and eat it too. He cannot approve or cause the funding of a massive media program in the name of public service and simultaneously appear as the anchor, voice, and public face of that program," they said. 

"This dual role collapses the wall between official function and personal interest, converting a public information campaign into a self-serving enterprise funded by taxpayers,” they added.—MCG, GMA Integrated News