Ona still health chief, says Palace

Enrique Ona: Still health secretary. INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines–Enrique Ona, who is on one-month leave, is still the health secretary, Malacañang said on Wednesday.

“We have a secretary. He is Secretary Ona. He is on leave. You have an undersecretary who is either the OIC or the acting secretary depending on the [appointment] paper, which I have not seen anyway,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

Undersecretary Valte was referring to was Janette Garin, identified in the media as the acting health secretary.

Valte asked the public not to “jump the gun” on President Aquino whether Ona would keep his job after the leave of absence ends on Nov. 28.

“Let’s give the guy time to answer the questions that have been propounded to him and let’s wait for the President to receive these answers.”

The President wanted Ona to explain in detail a number of issues at the Department of Health (DOH), such as his decision to purchase a particular antipneumonia vaccine over a most “cost-efficient” type recommended by the World Health Organization. The procurement was worth at least P800 million in 2012.

While serving on an acting capacity, Garin opted to move a number of DOH officials identified with Ona to their “original” posts.

In a previous phone interview with the Inquirer, Garin denied that the movement was a demotion, saying officials like Director Eric Tayag was an “assistant secretary-designate.” Tayag went back to his old post as head of the National Epidemiology Center.

Valte could not say if Garin’s move was “unusual.” But she acknowledged that “we’ve not seen any particular case, at least not in the close to four years that I’ve served in this administration.”

In general, she said there were “limitations by law” on what an acting secretary could do.

“I’m not very certain what acts [an acting secretary can do] but they are very limited,” Valte said. “There are some acts that an acting secretary cannot perform without higher approval.”