Former President Benigno Aquino III has a case against him filed at the Office of the Ombudsman together with some of his cabinet members.
Some parents with children vaccinated with Dengvaxia filed a case against former president and to former Health Secretary Janette Garin, former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and former Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa and some Sanofi officials.
It was determined in the complaint that these officials knew the negative result of the deal they had entered with the French pharmaceutical company.
They cannot let cases like this just came to pass where officials neglected the review and assessment of the new vaccine.
Fast tracked Deal
In April 4, 2016, former President Noynoy Aquino personally witnessed when then Department of Health Secretary Janette Garin administered the first dose of Dengvaxia to a nine-year old grade school pupil.
In his speech, he emphasized the former government’s efforts in improving the health services in the country.
Through this Dengue Vaccine School-based Immunization, it amplified the provision of free dengue vaccine to indigent public school students in three regions in the country with the highest dengue incidence, including the National Capital Region (NCR), Regions III (Central Luzon), and IV-A (Calabarzon).
The Pnoy administration purchased a P3.5 Billion worth of Sanofi Pasteur’s Dengvaxia even if WHO warned some risks before issuing its safety guidelines.
Fast-track 2017, the World Health Organization document stated that Dengvaxia was later found out to be dangerous, but only after it was been used already for more than 700, 000 children in the Philippines.
WHO said that children 9 years old and above who are vaccinated when seronegative could be at an increased risk.
“There is a theoretical possibility that vaccination may be ineffective or may even increase risk of hospitalized and severe dengue in those who are seronegative at the time of first vaccination, regardless of age. However, there are few trial data available on older seronegative participants to address this,” the WHO document said.
“Seronegative” means the absence of a virus in a subject’s bloodstream.
Senator Richard Gordon was alarmed with the report that even the dengue vaccine’s manufacturer, Sanofi acknowledged the dangerous risks to certain recipients.
In a report compiled by News 5, Sanofi disclosed that “for individuals who have not been previously infected by dengue virus, vaccination should not be recommended.”
Confirmed deaths due to Dengvaxia vaccine
In a report compiled by PTV News, the Public Attorneys Office (PAO) on Tuesday had already confirmed that there are two deaths due to Dengvaxia.
In a press conference in Manila, PAO Chief Persida Acosta showed the parents of Anjielica Pestilos and Christine Mae De Guzman, both 10, who died because of severe dengue, a month after receiving a shot of the vaccine.
The parents according to Acosta, have already made their affidavit.
“Habang kinukunan kami ng impormasyon, sinabihan kami pasalamat kayo binigyan tayo ng gobyerno ng libreng anti-dengue vaccine. Sa private (hospital) po kasi may bayad na mahal aabot ng PHP4,500 to PHP5,000 (While we were being asked for information, we were told that we should be thankful to the government because the anti-dengue vaccine is free. If we will get it from private hospitals, it would cost around PHP4,500 to PHP5,000.),” stated in the affidavit.
In their affidavit, parents Nelson and Marivic De Guzman, parents of Christine, said that their child got the vaccine shot on April 16, 2016 in Sisiman Elementary School.
CRIMINAL COMPLAINT
This is the second criminal complaint filed against former President Noynoy Aquino before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the anomalous Dengvaxia deal.
The case was filed by Gabriela party-list Reps. Emmi de Jesus and Arlene Brosas charging Aquino with violation of Republic Act No. 3019, or the “Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.”
Last week, former TESDA Director General and Iloilo Rep. Augusto Syjuco, Jr. charged Aquino and former Department of Health Secretary Janet Garin for mass murder and plunder over the Dengvaxia scam.
Department of Health has already suspended the massive vaccination program, while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered Sanofi to stop the sale, distribution, and marketing of Dengvaxia.
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