Plunder raps filed vs PNoy, Garin over Dengvaxia mess
Plunder raps were filed against former President Benigno Aquino III and former Health Secretary Janette Garin before the Office of the Ombudsman Friday morning over the controversial
13.5 billion Dengvaxia vaccination program.
Former Iloilo Rep. Augusto Syjuco Jr. filed the complaint “for and on behalf of 733,000 school children who were inoculated with the deadly vaccine Dengvaxia” because of the incompetence of Aquino and Garin.
“I file this complaint for the crimes of mass murder and other related and resultant crimes through reckless imprudence, negligence, plunder, and graft and corruption, ”Syjuco wrote in his complaint.
He added that the children, aged nine years old and above, from Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Calabarzon, received the Dengvaxia doses starting April, 2016. The appli--
cation was only stopped when it became publicly known that the antigen is an overwhelmingly harmful and perilous dengue afflicting “timebomb.”
Syjuco accused Aquino and Garin of being mass murderers through their recklessness and inefficiency, since they failed to realize that the threatening effects of the vaccine transpire 30 months after inoculation. He even said the former officials used the children as “human guinea pigs.”
“The drug Dengvaxia was specific only for those who have had dengue, for which these would have had no useful effect, but harmful to the overwhelming numbers of those who have not been previously afflicted with the disease of dengue, who will now have dengue somewhere in their lifetime, our own Filipino versions of Frankenstein or of the popular TV program, ‘The Walking Dead,’ thanks to this enigmatic inheritance from Aquino,” he said.
The ex-lawmaker, who also served as the chief of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), called on the public to also come forward to the Ombudsman so that they will have enough evidence to prosecute both Aquino and Garin.
Likewise, Syjuco compared Aquino’s Dengvaxia mess to his botched Oplan Exodus which led to the deaths of 44 SAF troopers in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
It is because of Aquino’s orders that the SAF 44 troopers confronted international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan” on January 25, 2015. They were successful in killing Marwan, but the terrorist’s death came at a heavy price. Marwan’s fellow terrorists captured the SAF officers and tortured them before killing them.
Syjuco accused Aquino of “placing little or no value in the lives of our people.”
During an interview after the filing, Syjuco confessed he is wary of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales and her “selective justice,” and she has done nothing so far with regards to the Dengvaxia case.
But since he has done his part in filing the complaint, he said it is up to the Ombudsman now to investigate him.
“Let me clarify, I am filing for investigation. I am asking the Ombudsman to investigate. That is what the purpose of the Ombudsman is, to investigate. Do I have all the proof in the world? No I don’t. But that’s not my function. As a citizen, all I have to do is complain and the Ombudsman is the one who is supposed to conduct the investigation,” he said.
Aquino spokesperson Abigail Valte said that Syjuco’s admission that he has no evidence is proof enough that the plunder raps will not stand. “Unfortunately, our judicial system is bogged down by frivolous suits like this one. At the end of the day, public money and precious time is wasted, and for what?” she said in a statement.
Good faith Meanwhile, some senators, after hearing former President Benigno Aquino III air his side of the story, expressed belief that the former chief executive acted in good faith in approving the 13.5-billion anti-dengue vaccination deal.
Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said he understands that it was a judgment call on the part of the former leader to address the increasing number of dengue cases in the country that was during the years he was in office.
But he said other officials might have taken advantage of this by giving him wrong information on the adverse effects of the Dengvaxia vaccine being marketed by French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur.
“Personally, I think PNoy (Aquino’s initial) did it in good faith, to avert dengue outbreak in the future,” Ejercito said.
“But it’s the other officials who might have taken advantage and did not give him an extensive report that includes the risk if there was,” he further said.
Ejercito pointed out Presidents rely on their secretaries or heads of agencies for information on every important issue. And as Aquino pointed out during the hearing, he said “a President would presume that the due diligence was done, that clinical tests were likewise completed, and strict protocols were followed.”
“My personal take is that not all information was disclosed, so that the transaction will push through,” Ejercito said.
“(It’s) possible that he was misinformed on the whole dengue vaccine issue. What is evident is that the whole transaction was done in haste,” he added.
Senator Joel Villanueva defended Aquino by saying: “I stand by President Noy, given the circumstances, information and research given and (are) available to him, he acted in the best interest of our people,” Villanueva said in a post on social media.
As a show of his support for Aquino, Villanueva also posted an old photo of his family sharing a light moment with the former chief executive in the Palace.
“We will continue to seek accountability and make sure that the health of the vaccinated children will be prioritized,” Villanueva said.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalin echoed Ejercito’s position, and said it was the responsibility of the President’s alter-ego to check and assess any proposals being forwarded to the chief executive.
“Any chief executive relies on his or her alter egos for accurate and timely information. It is the responsibility of the alter ego, in this case former secretary (Janette) Garin to meticulously vet any proposals for public health to the president,” Gatchalian said.
“Clearly in the hearing, the former secretary gave the former president incomplete information about Dengvaxia which made him decide to conduct massive immunization among children,” he added.
No regrets
Aquino said Sanofi Pasteur should be held liable if it is proven that it indeed withheld pertinent information on the anti-dengue vaccine it sold to the Philippine government.
“If it can be proven that they withheld pertinent information, then yes,” Aquino said.
Aquino also said he had no regrets approving the acquisition of Dengvaxia, saying he had to do something to avert a dengue outbreak from happening in the key cities in the country.
“If you were in my shoes, and you have been in my position for less than two months and given a problem without solution that has long been a problem, and your term is about to end, should I be blamed if I do something about it?” Aquino said in response to a reporter’s question.
“If you were in my place, and I refuse to offer any solution even though I have, even though you know that at that time, there is an imminent danger, how can I explain that to the people?”
“There’s a vaccine available that can protect you against dengue, and the government has money, but I don’t want to give it to you, how can I explain that to the people if that was our decision?” Aquino pointed out.
He also said it is unfair for the Aquino government to be blamed for negotiating the price of the vaccines given that the Philippines is a poor country.
“We are not a rich country that’s why we also asked them what’s the best price for our country,” he pointed out.
“If we committed a mortal sin, then the act is evil and the intention is evil. But if the idea was to promote vaccination at that time you decided it was evil, and if you know it was evil and you continued with it, then the intention was evil,” he stressed.
Aquino also said during the hearing that he was not aware of the ill-effects of Dengvaxia when the government decided to procure it for the state’s expanded immunization program and inoculated around 830,000 school children.
Yet, he said, the government made sure that the dengue vaccines passed international and local studies before they approved the deal.
But during the hearing, Garin reiterated that the government waited for international and local experts to complete the test on Dengvaxia to ensure that it is safe and efficient before the Aquino administration decided and allowed funds to be released for its procurement.