Senator Raffy Tulfo strongly criticized the Department of Health (DOH) for the persistent, annual expiration of hundreds of millions of pesos worth of medicines intended for public distribution.
During the Senate Committee on Finance hearing on the DOH’s proposed 2027 budget, Tulfo raised sharp questions regarding the agency’s repeated inventory and procurement failures.
“And yet every single year, by the hundreds of millions…₱11 billion ibinaon sa lupa Sa pamamagitan ng expired na gamot. Dapat yan may makulong. Dapat may mapugutan ng ulo eh. Napaka eskandaloso yung amount na yan,” Tulfo said.
Tulfo stressed that the scale of destruction is unconscionable, particularly as many Filipinos continue to lack access to essential treatments in local health centers.
He pushed back against the department’s standing explanation that expired supplies are returned to manufacturers for replacements.
To support his statement, the lawmaker presented photos showing medicine stocks being buried at a disposal facility in Tala, arguing that the evidence directly contradicts the agency’s claims.
“Lagi kong tinatanong yung mga gamot na nage-expire at ang palaging sinasagot po sa iyon, oversight daw yun and then sinosoli ang gamot at pinapalitan ng bago. Yun po ay pawang kasinungalingan dahil may proof po ako na binabaon…Diyan binabaon ang gamot by the hundreds of millions,” Tulfo said.
He questioned why a concrete tracking and inventory system has yet to be implemented to resolve the recurring issue.
Furthermore, Tulfo raised suspicions regarding the intentional procurement of short-dated medicines due to lower costs, suggesting possible favoritism toward certain vendors and illegal kickback schemes. He asserted that after years of identical issues during budget debates, the pattern can no longer be dismissed as a routine administrative mistake.
In response, Health Undersecretary Gloria Balboa explained that DOH policy requires delivered pharmaceuticals to have a minimum 18-month shelf life. However, she acknowledged that shorter-dated items are occasionally accepted if suppliers commit to replacing unconsumed units before expiration.
Balboa attributed stock accumulation to procurement disruptions, explaining that because budget projections are finalized a year in advance, bidding delays or failures frequently disrupt supply schedules and result in overlapping deliveries.
“Kung halimbawa nagkaroon ng delay sa procurement o kaya may nagbi-bid failure, di nabili, so nasisira yung ating mga naplano po na dapat bilhin. Nagkakapatong-patong minsan sa isang taon na mayroon yung out of stock,” Balboa said.
Tulfo dismissed the explanation, asserting that the DOH has had ample time to modernize its forecasting models.
Balboa clarified that while she was aware of procurement arrangements involving short-dated medicines, she had no knowledge that expired stocks were not being returned to vendors.
The senator continued to press the DOH on corruption risks, particularly when emergency purchases bypass public bidding. He cited leptospirosis responses as an example, where sudden outbreaks prompt negotiated emergency procurements that could potentially be exploited by corrupt officials.
Tulfo clarified that he was not accusing Health Secretary Edwin Mercado of direct involvement in the alleged malpractices.
Secretary Mercado stated that the department has implemented stricter procurement controls and will enforce the blacklisting of suppliers who fail to comply with the 18-month shelf-life requirement.
“Napakahigpit na po ngayon doon sa procurement na dapat po talaga 18 months po yung stocks na darating,” Mercado said.
The DOH disclosed that approximately ₱217 million worth of pharmaceuticals expired in 2025, while an additional ₱477 million worth were approaching their expiration dates.
Tulfo concluded that these losses represent a severe misuse of public funds while health facilities remain understocked.
He called on the DOH to immediately overhaul its procurement and inventory management protocols and ensure that responsible officials are held accountable to prevent future occurrences.