“Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their
reputations... can never effect a reform.” Susan B. Anthony
By Alex P. Vidal
IN December last year,
acting Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Janette Loreto-Garin sobbed that
she was hurt by the intense politicking and name-calling in the department.
She never mentioned who
called someone “bobo” (idiot) and “gaga” (dumb), but the former Iloilo
first district solon gave people who saw her TV interview the bird’s eye view
on what was going on in the DOH since she assumed as acting secretary, when
resigned Secretary Enrique Ona went on leave in November.
She was apparently at
loggerheads with some DOH bigwigs loyal to Ona.
At the time of
name-calling and apparent rudeness displayed by the male species and spoiled
brats in the department, there was no hint that Ona could not anymore get back
his post.
Unknown to most
outsiders, Loreto-Garin, the most junior undersecretary in the DOH, was being
bullied by rapscallions who felt uneasy working under a woman acting secretary,
and who feared sweeping reforms once Ona’s vacation would be extended.
Alas, Ona’s resignation
was accepted by President Benigno Aquino III before Christmas 2014.
The atmosphere in the
DOH completely changed when the president announced he would appoint
Loreto-Garin as regular secretary after the Papal Visit this month.
IN-COMING
Loreto-Garin’s incoming
appointment as regular DOH chief would be a slapped on the faces of those who
had earlier predicted she would be relegated back to her old post as
undersecretary.
It turned out
Loreto-Garin has the trust and confidence of President Aquino and was the
president’s apple as Ona’s replacement even before Ona resigned.
In between
Loreto-Garin’s anguish from the verbal snipes uncorked by “insecure” DOH
underlings and the president’s announcement of her appointment as regular DOH
chief was the furor involving hitherto Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag, who had
been reportedly “demoted”.
Tayag, known as the
dancing doctor, and Ona are among the health officials being investigated for
the alleged anomalous DOH purchase of anti-pneumonia vaccines for children.
The probe is being
conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) as ordered by President
Aquino.
Tayag was allegedly the
one who ordered the procurement of the PCV-10 instead of the cost-effective
PCV-13 for the DOH’s Expanded Vaccination Program.
Although Loreto-Garin
did not reveal who were her supposed tormentors, the grapevine said one of them
was Tayag.
CONFIRM
This was never confirmed
by both Loreto-Garin and Tayag but many insiders claimed that both DOH bigwigs
“don’t see each other eyeball to eyeball” whatever that means.
“Tayag’s loyalty is
still with Ona and Loreto-Garin’s appointment must have sent shivers down his
spine and the spines of Tayag’s cohorts,” sources said.
The lady DOH official,
wife of Iloilo first district Rep. Oscar “Richard” Garin, Jr., has promised to
initiate reforms once she takes over the helm of the DOH as a regular
secretary.
She said there were
clamors from several officials to fix the DOH organizational structure.
In changing Tayag’s
designation, Loreto-Garin clarified that “it was not a demotion because his
actual position is really director IV.”
“Sometimes it creates
confusion since there are some assistant secretaries who are assistant
secretaries by career,” Loreto-Garin said. “We did this with consultation.”
“Doc Tayag was even one
of those (directors) who volunteered to me to remove (the title) ASec because
he said he was not really an ASec,” Loreto-Garin explained.
It was part of the DOH
streamlining, she further said.
Whatever reforms she has
in mind for the DOH, Loreto-Garin must do it without fear and favor.
She has the full support
of the president and not even the most loquacious and arrogant male underlings
can pose as obstacles in her quest to improve the department long bedeviled by
anomalies and structural defects.
Just DOH it, Madame
Secretary!
