A group calling itself “Concerned Department of Health Personnel” has filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and Undersecretary Randy Escolango over alleged irregularities in procurement-related appointments.
The complainants accused the two officials of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, claiming Escolango’s simultaneous oversight of the department’s finance, procurement, and logistics functions created a conflict of interest.
They argued that the arrangement undermined safeguards under the New Government Procurement Act by concentrating key fiscal and procurement responsibilities under a single official, potentially weakening transparency and accountability.
The complaint also alleged that the appointments increased the risk of procurement irregularities and compromised independent financial oversight in the bidding process.
The group asked the Ombudsman to place Herbosa and Escolango under preventive suspension for six months and conduct a formal investigation into the appointments.
Source: PhilNews24 | June 25, 2026
