The Philippine Medical Students’ Association (PMSA) has officially called for the resignation of Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, citing leadership failure, corruption allegations, and the poor management of government health resources.
In a sharply worded statement, the student group argued that Herbosa has failed to introduce meaningful upgrades to the country’s medical landscape, despite serving for nearly three years under the Marcos administration.
“Secretary Herbosa has been failing to show promising steps in achieving a genuinely healthy Philippines,” the PMSA declared.
The organization claimed Herbosa’s suitability for the post has been in question since his appointment in 2023.
They pointed to his previous stint as a Department of Health (DOH) undersecretary from 2015 to 2018, his pushes for private hospital ownership, and controversial public remarks during the COVID-19 crisis that the group labeled as harmful to ordinary citizens.
The PMSA added that existing formal complaints submitted by Herbosa’s own colleagues within the health sector provide a clear reason for the government to step in immediately.
“The allegations and formal complaints, from his colleagues themselves, are clear and objective basis that the Secretary should be placed under preventive suspension at present, and be removed from office and be held into account, once proven guilty of corruption, graft or malversation,” the association stated.
The student medical association also slammed the current state of local healthcare, highlighting the extreme difficulties ordinary citizens face just to receive basic treatment.
“While many Filipinos endure long queues in different offices spending whole day to seek medical assistance, or worse, die of preventable diseases because of chronic negligence of the government, the DOH under Secretary Herbosa is blatantly misusing public funds and is forgetting its mandate to protect and promote the health among Filipinos,” the group added.
The PMSA concluded that widespread corruption within the agency is actively depriving the public of their basic right to functional social and healthcare benefits.