Joining the Cabinet is bad for health

Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa finally took the cue. Last Monday, Herbosa announced his resignation from the Cabinet of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM). In his official statement, Herbosa disclosed he underwent “bilateral knee replacement surgery” on both knees last July 7.

Citing he has to undergo “physical therapy” and rehabilitation, Herbosa conceded the work that must be done at the DOH in the last two years of the Marcos administration must not be affected by his inability to fully attend to these tasks. Actually, weeks before he resigned, Herbosa was among the Marcos department heads rumored to be on the chopping block.

Last week, The STAR reporter at DOH got hold of a document signed by Herbosa stating he went on sick leave and he designated one of his DOH deputies to take over. “In view of the sick leave of the undersigned from July 6 to 17, 2026, to be spent within the country, Undersecretary Albert Domingo is hereby designated as officer-in-charge of the Department of Health as embodied in the letter from the Office of the President,” read Department Personnel Order No. 2026-4549.

Last Monday, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro confirmed the President accepted the resignation of Herbosa. On the same day, Castro disclosed the President appointed Dr. Jose Pujalte Jr. as “acting” DOH Secretary vice Herbosa who first became DOH chief on June 2023.

Castro, however, clarified the President’s primary consideration in accepting Herbosa’s resignation had nothing to do with the graft complaint filed against him before the ombudsman.

Health seems to be the common reason cited by former Cabinet secretaries of the Marcos administration when they left their respective posts. On May 25, former labor secretary Bienvenido Laguesma resigned from the Cabinet due to pressing “health considerations.” On April 15, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año resigned also due to “health reasons.”

Several other ex-Cabinet members resigned for the same reasons of “health.” Serving in the Cabinet is not good for one’s health it seems. Just saying.

According to Castro, Pujalte brings to the DOH his more than three decades of experience as a physician, hospital administrator, educator and public servant dedicated to advancing public health care. Prior to his Cabinet post, Pujalte served as medical center chief since 2014 at the state-run orthopedic specialty hospital renamed as the Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC).

Obviously, it was a promotion to Pujalte to head the DOH where he began his career in 1991 and completed his orthopedic residency at the POC in 1994. Pujalte’s father, Jose M. Pujalte, also served as director of the POC, formerly called the National Orthopedic Hospital during the administration of PBBM’s late namesake father, former president Ferdinand Sr.

In terms of job status, Pujalte became the 11th Cabinet official appointed in “acting” capacity. Leading the Marcos Cabinet officials in this capacity is “acting” Executive Secretary Ralph Recto. Although he easily breezed through the Commission on Appointments (CA) when he was first appointed in the Marcos Cabinet as finance secretary, Recto remains up to now on “acting” status since Nov. 19, 2025.

Many of the other “acting” department secretaries were appointed while Congress was adjourned. Each and every “acting” secretary has only one year to serve. After which, his or her ad interim appointment is either submitted to the CA for confirmation or the President extends it. Until the Office of the President submits the nominations of these department heads, they will remain as “acting” secretaries until they go through and get confirmed by the 25-man bicameral body of CA.

Recto replaced former executive secretary Lucas Bersamin who, along with former Department of Budget and Management (DBM) secretary Amenah Pangandaman, resigned at the height of the scandal on the alleged “ghost” flood control projects last year. Former Presidential Economic Adviser Frederick Go assumed as “acting” finance secretary vice Recto, while DBM Undersecretary Rolando Toledo took over as “acting” DBM secretary, replacing Pangandaman.

As the so-called “little president,” Recto is the designated head of the three-man Cabinet caretaker committee as PBBM embarked on yet another official trip abroad. PBBM, accompanied by his wife First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, flew yesterday to Singapore upon the invitation of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in a four-eyes-meeting with his counterpart head of state.

It was the 45th overseas trip since PBBM assumed office at Malacañang on June 30, 2022. On his most recent trips, PBBM flew for an official visit to Canada from July 1-4 and a working visit on June 17-18 for the 35th Russia-ASEAN commemorative summit held in Kazan.

Now on the last two years of his term, almost half of PBBM’s Cabinet members are in “acting” capacity.

On April 10 this year, PBBM named as his “acting” Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay while appointing her predecessor Christina Garcia-Frasco as presidential adviser on sustainability and resilient communities. Last May 18, PBBM appointed DBM Undersecretary Kim Robert de Leon as the new “acting” DBM secretary to replace Toledo, who is now with the GSIS Board of Trustees.

The other “acting” secretaries are Transport Sec. Giovanni Lopez; Public Works Sec. Vivencio Dizon; Justice Sec. Fredderick Vida; Environment Sec. Juan Miguel “Mitch” Cuna and Presidential Communications Office Sec. Dave Gomez.

PBBM later appointed former senator Francis Tolentino as his new “acting” secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Just last week, PBBM brought back to his Cabinet former interior secretary Benhur Abalos, who he named as “acting” secretary to the Cabinet. Both Tolentino and Abalos ran but lost under the Marcos-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas slate in the May 2025 senatorial election.

It is not farfetched that two more losing Alyansa senatorial bets may soon be tapped by PBBM to government posts. They are ex-Makati City mayor Abigail Binay and boxing champion ex-senator Manny Pacquiao, who have both passed already the one-year ban on losing candidates to be named to appointive positions in government.

Most likely, both of them may end up as “acting” secretaries too.