Aquino hits House panel's call to file raps over Dengvaxia mess
MANILA, Philippines — Former President Benigno Aquino III on Friday said the recommendation of the House of Representatives’ panel to charge him over Dengvaxia is clearly a work of political opponents.
The House of Representatives Committee on Health recommended filing graft, technical malversation and grave misconduct against Aquino and his former Budget chief Florencio Abad and former Health Secretary Janette Garin over the purchase of the controversial anti-dengue vaccine.
But Aquino said the country long had the problem of dengue earlier called Philippine Hemorrhagic Fever and that the government then had budget that could be allotted for the vaccines.
“It is clear, we have political opponents that would always say what we did was wrong or that we did not do anything. They are making an issue where there should not be one,” the former president said in Filipino.
In November 2017, the Health department suspended the government’s anti-dengue vaccination program following the announcement of French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur that Dengvaxia could cause severe dengue if given to those with no prior exposure to dengue.
Aquino said government records showed that 837,902 were given at least one dose of Dengvaxia. “It was estimated that 90% of those in the country have been exposed to dengue, while 10% had no prior exposure,” added the former president.
He added that 17 out of the more than 830,000 persons were exposed to the risk of acquiring dengue grade I and II that were not the most severe level of dengue.
“837,902 persons and the whole nation were alarmed, that’s why even the vaccination against measles was rejected,” Aquino said.
The House panel said that the former president should be held accountable for approving the P3.5-billion budget for the purchase of Dengvaxia.
Aquino is facing complaints over Dengvaxia before the Office of the Ombudsman and Department of Justice.
READ: Aquino denies liability over Dengvaxia mess
Garin and other Department of Health officials, former and incumbent, are impleaded as respondents in criminal complaints lodged before the DOJ.
Measles outbreak
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III declared this week that there has been a significant increase in cases of measles in the country, particularly in Metro Manila, Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA and Bicol region.
Duque blamed Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Acosta in the decline of public trust on immunization.
Acosta, a laywer, has become the face of those who claimed that their loved ones died due to Dengvaxia. The claims of Acosta that there is a “pattern” between the anti-dengue vaccine and the deaths have been countered by scientific groups and doctors.
Acosta has washed her hands off the outbreak of measles and said that it is not her job, but of the DOH, to raise awareness on vaccination.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros has called on the resignation of Acosta.
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