HEALTH Secretary Jose Brittanio Pujalte Jr. denied on Thursday, August 6, 2026, claims that he halted the procurement of P3 billion worth of tuberculosis (TB) medicines to delay the bidding process to give way for his preferred supplier.
In a statement, Pujalte said the careful examination he ordered for the procurement of the medicines is necessary to ensure and verify the quantity, quality and safety of the medicines, as well as to ensure that it complies with the transparency regulations of the government to prevent wastage of public funds.
“Wala pa tayong 30 days sa posisyon, pero gusto agad pabilisin ang pag-apruba sa P3 billion TB procurement nang walang malalimang pagsusuri,” said Pujalte.
(We had not even been in office for 30 days, yet there was already pressure to fast-track the approval of the P3 billion tuberculosis (TB) procurement without thorough review.)
“Three billion pesos po 'yan ng taumbayan, hindi yan basta-basta. Natuto na dapat tayo sa nangyari noon sa Pharmally. Buhay ng tao ang nakataya rito,” he added.
(That is P3 billion of the people's money. It is not something that should be taken lightly. We should have learned from what happened with Pharmally. People's lives are at stake here.)
Pujalte was referring to the procurement of millions worth of overpriced personal protective equipment procured by the DOH through Pharmally Pharmaceuticals at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He slammed detractors, as he committed that he will not be swayed by them.
“Kahit sunud-sunod ang demolition job, hindi tayo magpapa-distract. Ang pera ng bayan at buhay ng Pilipino, kailangang protektahan,” he said.
(Despite the relentless demolition attempts, we will not be distracted. The people's money and the lives of Filipinos must be protected.)
On Wednesday, August 5, 2026, health advocates and health workers sent a letter to Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla urging him to dismiss Pujalte over the indefinite suspension of procurement of tuberculosis drugs and other tuberculosis-related commodities.
“According to whistleblowers, Respondent Pujalte, Jr. is allegedly deliberately stalling the public bidding timeline to buy time for an unnamed favored supplier,” the letter read.
“The calculated refusal to allow the bidding process to proceed serves a singular corrupt purpose: to discriminate against compliant bidders who submitted timely proposals,” it added. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)