PACC exec withdraws from Dengvaxia complaint

MANILA, Philippines — Commissioner Manuelito Luna of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) yesterday said he would be withdrawing as a private complainant in a criminal case against former president Benigno Aquino III and several other public and private individuals.

The complaint, which arose from the Aquino administration’s P3.5-billion anti-dengue immunization project, is still pending before the Department of Justice (DOJ). 

“I’ll be withdrawing my being a private complainant in this case so as not to cause some doubts in the regularity and fairness of the proceedings and also in fairness to the respondents,” Luna said.

He pointed out that Aquino, in a recent press conference, mentioned his name as one of the complainants. 

“So to satisfy him and the public (and to prove) that I am not throwing my weight around and in fairness to everybody, including the panel, it would be out of delicadeza and a better policy for me to formally withdraw as private complainant in this case,” Luna added. 

When Luna filed the Dengvaxia case at the DOJ last Feb. 12, he was still legal counsel of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC). However, on April 17, he was appointed to the PACC.

Together with the Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution Inc., the VACC also named former budget secretary Florencio Abad, former health secretary Janette Garin and 41 others, including former and current Department of Health (DOH) officials and the executives of Dengvaxia manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur and of its local distributor, Zuellig Pharma.

They were accused of violating Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; technical malversation under Section 65(3) of RA 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act; and reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide through criminal negligence under Article 365 of the Revised Penal Code.