FORMER officials of the Department of Health (DOH) warned President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, against making the same mistake of not designating the health department as head of the Philippine delegation to the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the World Health Organization-Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) set in Geneva, Switzerland from November 17 to 22.
In their letter to Marcos Jr., seven former DOH secretaries and nine ex-health undersecretaries said Marcos should not repeat in appointing an official like Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Hubert Guevara of the Office of the President, who led the Philippine delegation during the COP10 in Panama.
"To allow an agency other than the DOH to lead the delegation would undermine the country's credibility and integrity in advancing global health," they said.
"Repeating this mistake would erode public trust, misuse taxpayer funds, and betray our commitment to defend public health," added the former DOH officials.
During the COP10, the Philippines received its 5th Dirty Ashtray Award, which is a global rebuke for siding with the tobacco industry.
Instead, the former health officials asked Marcos to designate the DOH as head of the Philippine delegation to the COP11.
"We urge President Marcos to appoint the Department of Health as the lead delegate of the Philippines to COP11," said the former health officials.
They said the DOH is the rightful and credible lead as the institution mandated to safeguard the health and well-being of every Filipino.
Doing so, they added, is in accordance with the Philippines' election as president of the 78th World Health Assembly.
Former DOH executives said having the agency as the lead will also show that public health comes before profit in the Philippines.
They also said that having the DOH at the COP11 will strengthen the credibility and affirm the Philippines' capacity for principled health leadership.
Former secretaries of the DOH that signed the letter are Dr. Carmencita N. Reodica, Dr. Enrique T. Ona, Dr. Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial, Dr. Francisco T. Duque III, Dr. Manuel M. Dayrit, Dr. Esperanza I. Cabral, and Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan.
Signing the letter too are former DOH undersecretaries Atty. Alexander A. Padilla, Dr. Myrna C. Cabotaje, Dr. Mario C. Villaverde, Dr. Lilibeth C. David, Dr. Madeleine de Rosas-Valera, Dr. Abdullah B. Dumama Jr., Dr. Kenneth G. Ronquillo, Dr. Kenneth Y. Hartigan-Go, and Dr. David J. Lozada. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)