Tulfo grills new FDA officer-in-charge over alleged ties to ex-chief

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Raffy Tulfo on Friday grilled newly appointed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Franklin Anthony Tabaquin IV, alleging that he was appointed to the position because of his ties to former FDA chief Paolo Teston.

During the Senate Committee on Finance’s hearing on the Department of Health’s (DOH) spending plan for 2027, Tulfo questioned Tabaquin’s appointment.

READ: Raffy Tulfo accuses FDA of taking bribes, bias for big pharma firms

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“Bakit ikaw ang na-appoint? Samantalang marami naman diyan mas qualified pa sa iyo sa FDA, who’s been there for so many years, at alam nila ins and out ng FDA, and yet ikaw in-appoint. Mali. Nagkamali ang Malacañang, kasi bitbit ka ni Teston,” the senator said.

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(Why were you appointed? There are many others there who are more qualified than you in the FDA, who have been there for so many years and know the ins and outs of the FDA, and yet you were appointed. That’s wrong. Malacañang made a mistake because Teston brought you along)

Tulfo also revived his longstanding criticism of Teston, whom he accused in 2025 of failing to effectively enforce FDA warnings and challenged to resign over the continued online sale of banned products.

Asked about his appointment again later in the hearing, Tabaquin confirmed that Teston had recruited him.

“Nag-apply po ako. Ako ay nirecruit nga po ako ni Atty. Paolo Teston po,” Tabaquin said.

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(I applied for the position. I was recruited by Atty. Paolo Teston)

Tulfo then asked Tabaquin about a case allegedly filed against him before the Office of the Ombudsman.

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“Meron kang kaso sa Ombudsman, graft and corruption, pending, tama? Bakit ka kinasuhan sa Ombudsman?” Tulfo asked.

(You have a pending case before the Ombudsman for graft and corruption, correct? Why were you charged before the Ombudsman?)

Tabaquin, for his part, said the allegations involved delays that occurred before he assumed his current positions.

“It’s very unfortunate nga po… In my 15 years of government service po, ngayon lang po ako nakasuhan… At yung mga kaso kasi, mga delays po na nangyari po way, way before my time,” Tabaquin said.

(It’s actually very unfortunate… In my 15 years of government service, this is the first time I’ve been charged… The cases involved allegations of delays that happened way, way before my time)

He said he only became OIC deputy director for operations in October last year, was officially appointed deputy director in July this year, and had been serving as the FDA’s OIC director general for only two weeks.

Tulfo, however, maintained that Tabaquin’s appointment raised concerns because of his association with Teston.

“Nothing personal to what I’m going to say to you. You don’t deserve to be the Director General because marami pang mas magagaling diyan sa iyo. Binitbit ka lang eh ni Teston, dinala ka diyan,” Tulfo said.

(Nothing personal about what I’m going to say to you… You don’t deserve to be the Director General because there are many others there who are more qualified than you. Teston was the one who brought you in and brought you there)

READ: Tulfo calls out Herbosa over promise to remove FDA chief

“For me, ikaw ay bata ni Teston. So kung ano mga kalokohan ni Teston, ipagpapatuloy lang ‘yan,” he added, recalling that he had previously challenged Teston to resign and accused him of wrongdoing.

(For me, you are Teston’s protégé. So whatever wrongdoings Teston did, you will just continue them,)

Tulfo said he would bring the matter to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee for a broader investigation.

During the same budget hearing, Tulfo again questioned the DOH over the continued expiration and disposal of medicines worth hundreds of millions of pesos, demanding records to determine why the drugs were procured and why supposedly near-expiry medicines were accepted.

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He likewise reiterated his calls for an investigation into the matter, saying the wastage was particularly alarming amid shortages of medicines in some health centers. /jpv