Tolentino questions DOH chief's budget hearing absence

Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Ted Herbosa's absence from the Senate finance committee's hearing on the DOH's proposed 2024 budget drew questions from Senator Francis Tolentino.

Tolentino questioned who would be responsible for defending the P311.3-billion proposed budget for the DOH and its attached agencies.

Herbosa's absence was due to his ad interim appointment being bypassed by the Commission on Appointments (CA) on September 26, requiring him to wait for reappointment.

Health Undersecretary Lilibeth David, along with other officials including Undersecretaries Maria Rosario Vergeire and Gloria Balboa, served as the officer-in-charge and presented the budget.

However, Senator Pia Cayetano defended Herbosa's absence, stating it does not mean the agency is "headless."