Senator Raffy Tulfo on Friday took the Department of Health (DOH) to task over a recurring pattern of medicine wastage worth billions of pesos, calling for a thorough investigation to jail responsible officials and calling out the agency for allegedly lying about how expired supplies were handled.
Speaking during the budget hearing for the proposed 2027 DOH budget, Tulfo disputed claims by health officials that expired pharmaceuticals are routinely returned to suppliers for replacement. Instead, the senator asserted that supplies were simply dumped and buried underground, presenting photographic evidence to back his claim.
“I have pictures here that will show, yung mga medicines na yan, ibinabaon. Dapat may managot diyan, dapat may makulong sa kasinungalingan (I have pictures here that will show that these medicines were just buried. Someone has to answer for that. Someone has to be accountable for peddling lies),” Tulfo said.
Responding to the allegations, Health Undersecretary Gloria Balboa stated that she was unaware of any practice where expired medicines were buried. Balboa maintained that under existing terms of reference, supplies approaching their expiration dates are returned to suppliers to be replaced.
Tulfo stressed that the systemic failure to distribute medicines before they expire directly harms vulnerable populations and under-equipped community clinics.
“Maraming health centers tayo na sumisigaw na kulang sila sa gamit. Maraming mahihirap nating kababayan ang namamatay na dahil hindi nakararating sa kanila yung mga gamot that they deserve (Many health centers are crying for help since they lack medicines. Many poor Filipinos die without being given the medications that they deserve),”he added.
The senator insisted that the DOH must immediately rectify its distribution systems and hold accountable those responsible for allowing critical medical supplies to go to waste while local health centers suffer from shortages.