Health advocates demand DOH chief's ouster over TB drug procurement halt

Health advocates and health workers on Wednesday asked the Ombudsman to dismiss Health Secretary Jose "Brix" Pujalte Jr. over alleged whimsical suspension of procurement of tuberculosis drugs and other tuberculosis-related commodities. In a letter to Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, the health advocates said that Pujalte’s decision to suspend procurement for the tuberculosis program is tantamount to grave misconduct, grave abuse of authority and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, which merit dismissal from public office. “Respondent Pujalte, Jr. attempted to cloak his directive in the language of 'due diligence,' scheduling a mandatory briefing for July 30, 2026. According to concerned personnel employees within the DOH, the July 30, 2026 [briefing] did not push through. Thus, Respondent Pujalte, Jr. kept the procurement freeze strictly enforced indefinitely,” the letter read. “According to whistleblowers, Respondent Pujalte, Jr. is allegedly deliberately stalling the public bidding timeline to buy time for an unnamed favored supplier,” the letter aded. Likewise, the DOH chief’s accusers said that procurement timelines are fixed by law to eliminate corrupt administrative discretion. As such, and indefinite procurement suspension without valid legal grounds “is an illegal sabotage of open competitive bidding.” “The calculated refusal to allow the bidding process to proceed serves a singular corrupt purpose: to discriminate against compliant bidders who submitted timely proposals,” they added. GMA News Online has reached out to the DOH for comment. — BM, GMA News