Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

The Department of Health (DOH) chief during the previous Duterte administration is to blame for the unutilized expired vaccines that cost billions of pesos.

Thus, said House Deputy Majority Leader Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin, who didn't mention any names.

"Itong mga nangyari at nakita ng COA (Commission on Audit) ay dahil sa weak leadership at management ng [DOH] noong nagdaang administrasyon," said Garin, herself a former DOH secretary during the Aquino administration.

(What took place and what COA found out was the result of weak leadership at the DOH during the previous administration.)

COA earlier released a report that over P11 billion worth of unused drugs, medicines, and medical supplies were left to expire. This included 7,035,161 vials of life-saving Covid-19 vaccines.

"Kung sino ang program director, pagkabili ng mga bakuna at gamot, obligasyon mong ipagamit kaagad at i-monitor ito," Garin said.

(It's the obligation of the program director, whoever that may be, to tap the vaccines for use once they are bought and to monitor it.)

The lady solon reckoned that program directors who cannot properly monitor and distribute these medical resources should be removed from their post.

"Dapat doon may accountability kung sino ang implementing department ng DOH. Dapat may close coordination na kapag binili na dapat nang gamitin hindi kung kailan pa-expire na ay doon pa lang magkakandarapa na i-implement," Garin further said.

(The implementing department of the DOH must have accountability with it. There should be close coordination on the immediate use of medicines upon purchase, so as to avoid the rush to implement the program when they are already nearing expiration.)

Previously, Garin questioned incumbent DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa for the lack of vaccines, which led to the death of some individuals.

"Ang dami ngayong namamatay sa pertussis, stock out kayo sa bakuna. Ang dami ngayong may mga bulate, ang dami niyong mga nag-eexpire na praziquantel. Ang dami niyong mga binibiling gamot, nililibing siya kasi nag-eexpire," said the solon from Iloilo.

(A lot people are now dying of pertussis, and yet you're always stocked out of the vaccine. A lots of people should be dewormed, and yet you have a lot of expired praziquantel. You purchase a lot of medicines but end up burying them because they end up expired.)

In 2023, the COA also reported that DOH’s stock of medicines and other inventories amounted to P7.43 billion. This amount included medicines that were damaged, nearing their expiration date, or have already expired.