A prolonged recovery from surgery on both knees has prompted Health Secretary Ted Herbosa to give up his post, with a letter to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reportedly delivered on Monday.
The account came from a source who spoke to The Manila Times, describing a decision rooted in the physical toll of the procedure rather than the string of controversies that had dogged the department in recent months. According to that source, Herbosa framed the move as a matter of fairness to the agency he had led since 2023.
“My operation has made me realize that l also need to take care of myself. I will be on extensive rehabilitation for 3-4 months and I find it unfair that I will not be able to devote my full time and effort to important matters of DOH,” the source quoted Herbosa as saying.
The health secretary had been away from his desk before the resignation surfaced. Philippine Star reported that a personnel order covering July 6 to 17 placed Undersecretary Albert Domingo in charge of day-to-day operations while Herbosa was on sick leave, with policy-level and sensitive decisions still routed back to the secretary. That same order followed knee replacement surgery on both legs, performed earlier in the week at a private facility in Metro Manila.
Herbosa, a physician and longtime figure in the department where he served as undersecretary between 2010 and 2015, was appointed to the top health post by Marcos on June 5, 2023. In May 2025 he was elected to lead the 78th session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, the first time a Philippine representative held that position.
His tenure had drawn repeated calls for him to leave office. Health advocacy groups and reform campaigners tied their demands to graft complaints before the Ombudsman and to disputes over the handling of billions in PhilHealth funds, the transfer of which the Supreme Court had struck down as unconstitutional.
As of Monday, Malacañang had not confirmed the resignation or commented on whether the President would act on it.
