Dr. Teodoro "Ted" Herbosa on Tuesday failed to get the approval of the powerful Commission on Appointments for his ad interim appointment as secretary of the Department of Health.
Due to the "lack of material time," the constitutional body's deliberation on Herbosa's appointment was suspended on the motion of Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. LRay Villafuerte. Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, who presided over the CA's deliberation on Health and Demography, approved the motion.
Go denied the CA panel had bypassed Herbosa, who was appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to head the Department of Health last June.
"As of now, the hearing has been suspended due to lack of material time. There were so many questions," he told reporters after the hearing's suspension.
"The hearing was just suspended. It cannot be called a bypass or deferred. There was no opposition or any written opposition to his appointment," he added.
Villafuerte echoed Go's statement.
"We have two session days left, today and tomorrow, so it's basically a lack of material time," he said.
Despite insisting that Herbosa was not bypassed, they both agreed that he would need to secure a reappointment from the President.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, however, confirmed that Herbosa had been bypassed.
"Yes, he was bypassed due to lack of material time. But he will be taken up again when we get back in November," Zubiri said.
