DEPUTY Majority Leader and Iloilo First District Representative Janette Garin questioned the appointment of former Special Adviser to the National Task Force against COVID-19 Dr. Tony Leachon as the latter accordingly lacks the necessary credentials for the post.

Garin emphasized that Dr. Leachon lacked expertise in public health, casting doubt on his qualifications.

Garin raised questions about Dr. Leachon’s credentials in public health, pointing out that he had previously been appointed by the Department of Health (DOH) as a Special Adviser for Non-Communicable Diseases.

During budget deliberations, it came to light that Dr. Leachon did not possess a Master’s or Doctorate degree in public health, a criterion often associated with experts in the field.

Furthermore, Garin referenced a statement from Presidential Adviser on Peace Carlito Galvez Jr., who had described the data on vaccines as “skewed” and “malicious.”

Garin questioned the fairness of allocating P100,000 to someone whose statements were deemed questionable, suggesting that while Dr. Leachon could serve as a personal consultant, he should not be granted a platform within the Department of Health.

“Ang laki-laki po ng medical assistance program. Napakaraming trabaho sa kanila… pero kulang na kulang po sila Secretary sa tao,” she said addressing DOH chief Ted Herbosa.

Garin proposed that the compensation designated for Dr. Leachon should instead be directed toward Medical Assistance Program workers, highlighting their substantial workload and insufficient staffing.

“You can hire him as your personal consultant but you cannot give him the platform of the Department of Health because that is a lot different,” the House appropriations panel senior vice chairperson added.

The Department of Health proposed a budget of P195.6 billion for 2024, which is lower than the approved budget in 2023, amounting to P214.5 billion.