MANILA, Philippines — A Senate budget hearing turned tense on Friday after Sen. Raffy Tulfo questioned newly appointed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Officer-in-Charge Director General Franklin Anthony Tabaquin IV over his appointment and alleged close association with former FDA chief Paolo Teston.
Tulfo raised questions about why Tabaquin was chosen to lead the country’s drug and food regulator despite the senator’s assertion that other long-serving FDA officials may have had greater institutional experience.
The exchange took place during the Senate Committee on Finance’s hearing on the Department of Health’s proposed 2027 budget.
Tulfo openly challenged the appointment, arguing that Tabaquin was brought into the FDA leadership circle by Teston and suggesting that his association with the former FDA chief should be scrutinized.
Tabaquin acknowledged during the hearing that Teston had recruited him, while maintaining that he had applied for the position.
The revelation became a key point in Tulfo’s questioning as the senator pressed the new FDA OIC about his qualifications and relationship with his predecessor.
Tabaquin: Teston recruited him
When Tulfo asked about his entry into the FDA, Tabaquin confirmed that Teston had recruited him.
Tabaquin also explained that his rise to his current position had been relatively recent. According to his account, he became OIC deputy director for operations in October 2025, was formally appointed deputy director in July 2026, and had been serving as FDA OIC director general for only about two weeks at the time of the hearing.
Tulfo nevertheless questioned whether the appointment represented the best choice for the FDA, repeatedly pointing to Tabaquin’s connection with Teston.
The senator characterized Tabaquin as a protégé of Teston and said he feared that problems associated with the former administration could continue under the new leadership. These were Tulfo’s allegations and opinions, not established findings of wrongdoing against Tabaquin.
Tulfo raises alleged Ombudsman case
The questioning intensified when Tulfo brought up an alleged pending graft and corruption case involving Tabaquin before the Office of the Ombudsman.
Tabaquin acknowledged that he had been charged but disputed the implication that the case involved misconduct during his current tenure.
He said the allegations involved delays that occurred before he assumed his current positions, adding that the case was the first such complaint he had faced during his roughly 15 years in government service.
The exchange does not establish that Tabaquin committed graft or corruption. The existence, status and merits of any Ombudsman proceeding would have to be determined through the appropriate legal process.
FDA already under congressional scrutiny
The confrontation comes after months of congressional criticism of the FDA over its enforcement of regulations against counterfeit, unregistered and unauthorized health products.
In a January 2026 Senate hearing, lawmakers questioned then-FDA Director General Paolo Teston over the continued availability of allegedly counterfeit and unregistered medicines, particularly through online platforms.
GMA News reported that Tulfo’s team conducted a test purchase on Shopee and was able to obtain prescription medicines without presenting a prescription. Teston defended the agency’s work and said he would continue performing his duties unless directed otherwise.
Philstar likewise reported that lawmakers questioned the FDA’s enforcement record, including the number of convictions involving unauthorized health products. Tabaquin, who was then an FDA director, provided figures on convictions under the relevant laws.
The issue has also drawn attention from the Philippine News Agency. In January, Tabaquin told senators that nobody had yet been jailed over the unlicensed products being discussed, citing the way penalties had been imposed in the cases handled by the agency.
FDA says enforcement efforts have expanded
The FDA, however, has also reported intensified enforcement operations this year.
According to PNA, the agency said it seized P82.4 million worth of violative health and food products during operations through May 2026. The agency also reported thousands of enforcement operations and efforts to remove illegal online product listings.
These figures provide an important counterpoint to the criticisms raised in Congress: while lawmakers have questioned the FDA’s effectiveness, the agency has also reported increased enforcement activity and digital reforms.
Teston’s departure from FDA
The controversy surrounding Tabaquin’s appointment also comes shortly after Teston’s departure from the FDA.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed Teston as an associate justice of the Court of Tax Appeals in July 2026. Teston had been appointed FDA director general in May 2025.
That transition has now placed Tabaquin at the center of renewed congressional scrutiny over the FDA’s leadership.
Tulfo vows wider investigation
Tulfo said he intended to bring the matter before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, potentially opening the door to a broader investigation into the issues surrounding the FDA and its leadership.
The senator also questioned the Department of Health during the same hearing over the expiration and disposal of medicines reportedly worth hundreds of millions of pesos.
For the FDA’s new OIC, the challenge now extends beyond defending his appointment. He faces pressure to demonstrate that the agency can strengthen enforcement, address concerns over unauthorized health products and maintain public confidence while operating under heightened congressional scrutiny.
The bigger question left hanging after the hearing: will Tabaquin’s appointment survive the Senate’s deeper examination—or will the FDA leadership controversy move into a much wider investigation?
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