Palace on Herbosa posing with tobacco execs: Photos don't mean he violated law

Malacañang defended Wednesday Health Secretary Ted Herbosa after the latter drew flak for posing with executives from a tobacco company for a photo. 

At a press conference, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro was asked about Herbosa being criticized by anti-smoking advocates after he took part in a turnover ceremony of mobile health clinics from a tobacco firm. 

''Do we have any proof that DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa was the one who accepted the donation from the tobacco companies? Kung hindi naman po tumanggap ang DOH ng anumang donasyon mula sa company ng tobacco, wala po tayong nakikitang anumang violation sa sinasabi nating batas o rule (If the DOH didn't receive any donation from the tobacco company, we don't seen anything wrong with that),'' Castro said.

''Kung siya man po ay nakapag photo ops hindi naman po ibig sabihin na siya'y nagba-violate na ng batas,'' she added. 

(If he had a photo ops, it doesn't mean that he already violated the law.)

A circular from the Civil Service Commission and the DOH explicitly prohibits government officials from engaging in unnecessary interactions with, or accepting donations from, the tobacco industry.

GMA News Online asked Herbosa for comment on the issue but he has yet to reply as of posting time.

Meanwhile, DOH spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said: ''We defer to the statement of the Palace Press Officer.''—AOL, GMA Integrated News