MANILA, Philippines – Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Glenn Mathew Baggao is facing graft and administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman over an alleged conflict of interest involving a construction firm owned by his brother.

In a complaint filed on Thursday, April 30, a group of concerned health workers accused Baggao of violating anti-graft and procurement laws, alleging that his position in the DOH allowed him to influence the allocation of funds for health infrastructure projects later awarded to his family’s construction company.

The group said that as head of the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP), Baggao had control over billions of pesos earmarked for hospitals and health facilities.

According to the complaint, EGB Construction, owned by Erni Baggao, secured at least five projects in 2025 worth nearly P141 million. These include the construction of super health centers in Isabela and upgrades to district hospitals.

A Rappler investigative report published in March showed that barely a year after Baggao’s appointment, his brother’s firm secured at least five multimillion-peso health infrastructure projects.

The complaint also cited earlier projects awarded to the same firm while Baggao was still a hospital chief, including contracts worth hundreds of millions of pesos.

Aside from alleged violations of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the group also accused Baggao of breaching the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials (RA 6713) and the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184).

Administrative charges cited include grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of public service, and gross inefficiency.

The complainants said Baggao’s “concentration of power — simultaneously running national programs and regional hospitals — appears strategically designed to bypass oversight and enable systemic manipulation.”

They urged the Ombudsman to investigate the case, suspend Baggao, and revoke his authority over the HFEP to prevent further alleged misuse of public funds.

Rappler has sought comment from Baggao, but he has yet to respond as of writing. This story will be updated once he does.

EGB is among the top flood control contractors named by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in August 2025. Erni was also a board member of the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board until he stepped down in September 2025 at the height of the flood control scandal investigation.

In the Senate blue ribbon committee’s investigation into flood control projects, Senator Panfilo Lacson also previously flagged Erni’s role in PCAB as a potential conflict of interest. – Rappler.com