Pagbutlak

Content Warning: This article contains mentions of suicide which some readers may find distressing.

As the globe observes World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10, the Philippines grapples with a worsening mental health crisis. Police records show that about 2,000 Filipinos died by suicide in just the first six months of 2025 alone.

Former Philippine National Police Chief Nicolas Torre III earlier sounded the alarm, recalling that at one point, 15 people committed suicide in just one month or one in every two days.

But while cases mount, a major scandal at the Department of Health (DOH) has raised concerns about the government’s management of scarce psychiatric resources.

On July 31, 2025, a DOH employee and several health advocates filed complaints against Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and five other officials for allegedly giving away P44.6 million worth of psychiatric medications to the Rotary Club of Quezon City without authorization.

Alliance of Health Workers (AHW), a non-government organization for health workers’ economic and democratic rights, said that the move constituted a “serious breach of public trust and a blatant disregard for public health safety, corruption, abuse of authority, protocols and legal safeguards if proven true.” 

Rotary Club, a non-licensed medical facility, also lacked permits to distribute or handle these sensitive medications. Reports further revealed that the drugs, distributed using the name of the National Center for Mental Health unsanctioned, were close to expiration.

AHW further slammed the move as particularly troubling given that public hospitals face severe shortages in psychiatric medications, leaving patients unable to access treatment.

The controversy occurred as the Philippine healthcare system remains complicated, with health workers facing job insecurity, unpaid benefits, and severe understaffing in public hospitals. 

Despite multiple letters seeking dialogues with the health department, Herbosa has ignored requests for meetings, according to AHW. “The very agency that is supposed to protect and safeguard public health is allegedly bypassing protocols and misusing public resources for unsanctioned activities,” the group stated.

The controversy determines not just Secretary Herbosa’s future, but also whether Filipinos can trust the DOH to properly manage critical health resources during a mental health crisis.

“Health workers will remain vigilant and steadfast and committed to their duty of providing quality health services to the Filipino,” AHW concluded, while demanding accountability from government officials. 

Despite claims of his removal, Herbosa remains in his post as health secretary. 

Ma. Roisa Joy Amonoy is a second-year BA in Communication and Media Studies. She writes news for Pagbutlak since 2025.