MANILA, Philippines (2nd update; 02:16 p.m.) —Health Secretary Ted Herbosa has stepped down from his post, Malacañang confirmed Monday, July 13, saying Herbosa resigned due to health reasons.
"Today, I tendered my courtesy resignation as SOH (Secretary of Health) to PBBM. My operation has made me realize that I also need to take care of myself," Herbosa said in a letter, cited by BusinessWorld.
Related Stories
Herbosa's exit comes after his tenure drew criticism from some health groups and became the subject of complaints before the Ombudsman.
In December last year, the Health Alliance for Democracy demanded Herbosa's resignation, accusing him of staying silent as P89 billion in PhilHealth funds was transferred to the National Treasury.
Ombudsman complaints also accused Herbosa of alleged P1.29 billion in unliquidated cash advances to the United Nations Children's Fund and questioned a P1.8-billion procurement of mobile primary care facilities.
Malacañang also announced that Jose "Brix" Pujalte Jr. had been appointed as secretary of one of the government's largent frontline agencies, replacing Herbosa.
Who is Jose Pujalte Jr.?
Pujalte has served since 2014 as medical center chief of the Philippine Orthopedic Center in Quezon City, the country's 700-bed national specialty hospital for orthopedics and rehabilitation. He was also president of the Philippine Orthopedic Association in 2009.
His late father, Dr. Jose Magallanes Pujalte, led the same hospital, then called the National Orthopedic Hospital, during the first Marcos administration.
Pujalte has spent decades in public healthcare. In a 2023 PeopleAsia profile, he said he joined the Department of Health in 1991 after obtaining his medical degree from the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital in 1990. He joined the Philippine Orthopedic Center as an orthopedic resident in 1994 and later rose through the ranks. — Cristina Chi with a report from Adrian Parungao