The LP should explain the Dengvaxia debacle
Former President Aquino already appeared before the Senate Good Government Committee but his explanation left many questions unanswered. He needs to submit a bill of particulars to tie many loose ends together.
After all, it was under the LP administration with him at the helm when this problem started. It was under LP's watch that it was decided to purchase Dengvaxias discovered by Sanofi. Whether it was Secretary Enrique Ona or Janet Garin who approved the purchase is immaterial. The role of Secretary Paulyn Ubial was merely implementation. What matters most is that it was the government of the LP, by the LP, and for the LP that brought us here. Since LP has been posturing as the apostles of good governance and integrity, let them explain this mess.
Let LP chairman, Senator Kiko Pangilinan, and his senior party mate Franklin Drilon, explain the P3.5 billion having been released to a foreign firm. This huge amount could have needed the approval of the president. The then Budget Secretary, another LP stalwart, Florencio Abad, should also explain the rush to release the money. And why did the government allow Sanofi to make Filipinos guinea pigs, knowing then that Dengvaxia was not yet sufficiently tested. The Philippines was made a testing laboratory.
It now appears the LPs are becoming known for wrong purchases. First, the wrong MRT trains and now these wrong vaccines. Under PNoy and then Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, head of LP then, with Abad heading budget, it was alleged that trains purchased were not congruent with or fitted to the existing railway systems, thus supposedly causing a series of errors and breakdowns. And now, medicines that pose dangers to about 830,000 children. Both trains and vaccines put lives and health, safety, and well-being in danger. LP should explain all these errors and apparent negligence. We are not even saying graft was involved.
I wonder why the Ombudsman is not investigating these messes. That is why there appears some reason for the current government to charge the Ombudsman of some partiality in the choices of whom and what alleged anomalies to investigate. The MRT and Dengvaxia are gargantuan debacles that should be explained well in court and to the people. LP better be prepared because if the Ombudsman is not going to go after them, the Senate and the House will never take them sitting down. And the people will never forgive them for such irresponsibility and dereliction of duty. Come the 2019 elections, the LPs shall have so much of explaining to do, or else suffer a disastrous poll.
The people may be silly, even crazy at times. But the Filipinos are not stupid. They know who is just fooling them all the time.
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