Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, co-lead of the University of the Philippines’ (UP) COVID-19 Response Team, has resigned from his post as the state university’s Executive Vice President.
Herbosa resigned effective immediately due to “personal reasons,” according to the UP announcement on Sunday.
His resignation came a day after he drew flak online following his “death by community pantry” tweet.
The Twitter post was Herbosa’s reaction to reports of a senior citizen who died while waiting in line at a community pantry organized by actress Angel Locsin in Holy Spirit, Quezon City.
It received online backlash, prompting Herbosa to make a public apology.
UP President Danilo Concepcion accepted Herbosa’s resignation, expressing regret due to the fact that the former vice president has served the university with great dedication.
“In your service as Executive Vice President, you have shown how vital this position can be to the governance of the University,” said Concepcion in his letter accepting Herbosa’s resignation.
Herbosa served as UP Executive Vice President since the start of Concepcion’s administration in 2017.
He was part of the UP COVID-19 Response Team, which provided projections, analyses, and recommendations to aid the government’s decision-making regarding COVID-19.
“I sincerely apologize for my tweet earlier today, tagging as ‘death by community pantry’ news of a senior citizen’s death at a community pantry of a celebrity. It may have sounded like a criticism but was ill-judged, when many are facing hardships and being helped by these kind-hearted souls,” Herbosa said in his Facebook post.
“I felt angry over a preventable death and ended up issuing the tweet when I could have expressed it in a better way.”
“I assure you this has nothing to do with the institution that I serve, the University of the Philippines, I have filed a leave of absence while I reflect on my actions and this misstep,” Herbosa said.