The Freeman

Comelec summons Noy, others over Dengvaxia

LUCKY P. MALICAY

- THE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

MANILA — Former president Benigno Aquino III and his two ex-aides

have been summoned by the

Commission on Elections to answer a complaint filed against them for alleged election

offense in connection with the procuremen­t of the

controvers­ial Dengvaxia vaccine.

The Comelec sent a subpoena to Aquino, former Budget secretary Florencio Abad and former Health secretary Janette Garin after they were accused of violating the Omnibus Election Code that prohibits the use of public funds for an election campaign.

"You are hereby directed to appear and submit your counter-affidavit and other supporting documents or affidavits of your witness/es, if any,... on 15 March, 2018," the poll body told the three former officials.

To recall, a joint complaint-affidavit was filed against Aquino, Abad and Garin for supposedly using P3 billion in public funds in purchasing anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia and implementi­ng an immunizati­on program, 45 days before the general election.

The complainan­ts accused Aquino of spending funds from state coffers "to further the candidacie­s of his partymates" in the Liberal Party and entice voters.

A violation of election laws carries a penalty of imprisonme­nt from one to six years, removal of the right to vote, and disqualifi­cation from holding public office.

French pharmaceut­ical giant Sanofi Pasteur initially claimed that its world-first dengue vaccine was safe and effective for all people aged 9 to 45, but later acknowledg­ed that it's not recommende­d for people who have had no prior dengue infection.

Sanofi's revelation triggered simmering public anger in the Philippine­s, where more than 800,000 school children had been vaccinated in 2016. —

Philstar.com

 ??  ?? A violation of election laws carries a penalty of imprisonme­nt from one to six years, removal of the right to vote, and disqualifi­cation from holding public office.
A violation of election laws carries a penalty of imprisonme­nt from one to six years, removal of the right to vote, and disqualifi­cation from holding public office.
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