LOOK: Photos of expired medicines ‘buried’ by DOH shown in hearing

MANILA, Philippines — Photos of expired medicines worth millions of pesos allegedly being buried by the Department of Health (DOH) were shown during the Senate Finance Committee’s budget hearing on Friday.

The photos were presented by Sen. Raffy Tulfo as he questioned DOH officials about the agency’s expired medicines, saying they were a waste of public funds.

Today, the finance panel scrutinized the proposed budget of DOH and its attached agencies and corporations for the year 2027.

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Tulfo said he has long criticized the DOH during yearly budget deliberations over billions worth of medicines that expire.

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“The DOH always says that this is due to some oversight on their part. That’s the reason,” the senator recalled.

“And then, number two – they say that medicines that expire are returned to the supplier, and the suppliers replace them. I’m going to debunk that today… that lie by the DOH,” he pointed out.

“I have evidence that those medicines are being buried. I have pictures here that will show that those medicines are being buried,” Tulfo revealed.

When Tulfo demanded documentation on the return of expired medicines to it their sources, DOH Undersecretary Gloria Balboa explained that the DOH has an arrangement with suppliers that allow medicines nearing their expiration date to be taken back.

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However, she clarified that she was not personally aware of such agreement covering medicines that have already expired.

In response, new Health Secretary Edwin Mercado said they are looking into the procurement and supply chain processes of the agency. 

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Mercado confirmed that in 2025, P217 million worth of medicines expired, prompting senators at the hearing to ask for previous data that showed how much were the medicines that had expired in prior years and their volumes.

The new secretary said he does not have these pieces of information at the moment. He said he will look for answers.

He told the senators that he will give the lawmakers a complete record once this becomes available.

Nevertheless, the secretary said that stricter rules now apply to DOH suppliers.

The secretary said that they currently require that medicines to be delivered by suppliers must have at least 18 months of shelf life before the drugs’ expiration date.

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He also told the senators that he will create an investigating committee to also look into this matter. /apl