The Department of Health (DOH) welcomed the interest of Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong to probe into the alleged mismanagement of the Medical Assistance for Indigents and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIP).

Sought to comment, DOH Spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo told reporters in a Viber message on Friday that Health Secretary Ted Herbosa has openly pointed to DOH hospital Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) and Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) payments as the better means to pay for hospital expenses.

"Sec Ted even formally requested for a new line item, separate from [MAIP], to allow direct payments from DOH to [local government unit] hospitals without passing through politicians," Domingo added.

Domingo made the clarification after Magalong, resigned Independent Commission on Infrastructure special adviser and investigator, flagged Herbosa for investigation over alleged mismanagement of MAIP.

Magalong has signaled that the Mayors for Good Governance (M4GG) is set to investigate the DOH following allegations of fund misuse linked to the agency’s MAIP, which reportedly served certain political interests during the previous elections.

“Hindi lang diyan sa [Department of Public Works and Highways] natatapos yan, meron pa yan DOH akala nila wala sa front sight namin yan, yan si Ted Herbosa, malapit ka na rin (It's not just ends at the DPWH. There's also DOH. They thought it wasn't in our front sight. Ted Herbosa, you're next)," Magalong said in a radio interview.

The mayor claimed that his organization, M4GG, has received numerous complaints regarding the equitable distribution of MAIP funds.