Aquino to appoint Garin as DOH chief

MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III said on Friday that he will appoint Janette Garin as the permanent replacement for resigned Health Secretary Enrique Ona.

"I am very satisfied with Secretary Garin. We will be putting in another undersecretary to help her. Of course this is subject to confirmation by the Commission on Appointments," Aquino said in a media briefing in Romblon that was aired on state-run People's Television.

Aquino indicated that the Garin's appointment will only be formalized after the visit of Pope Francis next week.

"We will deal with the ministerial stuff after the Pope's visit," Aquino said. "Urgent matters will be attended to now but those that can wait a little, so as not to distract the people who are working on the Pope's visit."

Garin has been the acting health secretary after Ona took a leave of absence late last year while under investigation for a questionable vaccine procurement by his department in 2012.

After extending his leave of absence, Ona eventually resigned.

Garin and Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang went under fire in November for not wearing personal protective equipment when they visited the quarantined Filipino peacekeepers from Ebola-hit Liberia.

Garin was also urged to take a leave of absence while facing investigation by the Department of Justice for allegedly receiving P1 million from the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani program for her campaign kitty in 2007 when she was still an Iloilo congresswoman.