PAO chief wants Dengvaxia raps dropped

MANILA, Philippines — Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Acosta is asking the Office of the Ombudsman to dismiss the charges against her and PAO forensic laboratory chief Erwin Erfe in connection with alleged irregularities in the agency’s investigation of the deaths reportedly linked to the Dengvaxia vaccine.

Acosta and Erfe are facing charges of graft, falsification of public documents, malversation of public funds and illegal use of public funds filed by lawyer Wilfredo Garrido before the ombudsman in October 2018.

Garrido filed charges against Acosta for allegedly “fanning the flames of public hysteria” by attributing at least 80 deaths to Dengvaxia using questionable and inconclusive autopsy reports by the PAO forensic laboratory.

Acosta, in a consolidated position paper filed yesterday, said Garrido’s complaint reveals his intention, which is to prevent both her and Erfe from “effectively fighting for the cause of the Dengvaxia victims, and silence them.”

Garrido also filed an urgent motion for the preventive suspension of the two officials last April. This was followed by a manifestation filed earlier this month by  anonymous intervenors who claimed to be PAO lawyers.

Acosta said the accusations against her are baseless and part of a demolition job, adding that there is no basis for the ombudsman to preventively suspend her and Erfe.