PACC commissioner withdraws as Dengvaxia raps complainant

Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) Commissioner Manuelito Luna has decided to withdraw out of “delicadeza” as one of the complainants in the criminal complaints filed against former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and his co-respondents over the Dengvaxia anti-dengue vaccine mess.

“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 of the respondents,” Luna told reporters Friday.

The complaint was filed last Feb. 12 by Luna and his fellow complainants, the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) and the Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution, Inc. (VPCI).

Luna, a former counsel of the VACC, said he will be formally filing on Monday a motion informing his withdrawal as complainant before the Department of Justice (DOJ) panel of prosecutors conducting the preliminary investigation of the complaints.

The commissioner added that he will be replaced as VACC counsel in the case by former Biliran Rep. Glenn Chiong.

Luna said his decision to withdraw as a complainant was in response to the accusations hurled against him by Aquino.

“If you recall the former President Benigno Simeon Benigno III has conducted a press conference wherein he mentioned me as one of the complainants,” he said.

“So to satisfy him and the public 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,” he pointed out.

The complainants were at the DOJ Friday to submit their reply-affidavits before the DOJ panel of prosecutors.

During the hearing, the panel gave the respondents in the case up to July 20 to file their respective rejoinders in the case.

In the complaint, Aquino and his co-respondents are accused of having committed violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act (RA) 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; technical malversation under Section 65(3) of RA 9184, the Government Procurement Reform Act; and reckless imprudence resulting multiple homicide through criminal negligence under Article 365 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC).

Apart from Aquino, those who have been named as respondents in the complaint are two of his former Cabinet members, namely, former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and former Health Secretary Janette LoretoGarin.

Former and current Department of Health (DOH) officials included as respondents are Undersecretaries Carol Tanio, Gerardo Bayugo, Lilibeth David, and Mario Villaverde; Assistant Secretaries Lyndon Lee Suy and Nestor Santiago; Directors Laureano Cruz, Joyce Ducusin, Mar Wynn Bello, Leonila Gorgolon, Rio Magpantay, Ariel Valencia, and Julius Lecciones; retired Undersecretary Nemesio Gako; resigned Undersecretaries Vicente Belizario Jr. And Kenneth HartiganGo; and resigned executive assistant to Garin, Dr. Yolanda Oliveros.

Executives of Dengavaxia manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur and local distributor Zuellig Pharma were also named as co-respondents in the complaint.