Duque, Garin face fresh Dengvaxia raps
Fresh complaints have been filed against Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III and former secretary Janette Garin over the death of children who received shots of the antidengue vaccine Dengvaxia.
The families of three alleged Dengvaxia victims filed their respective complaints before the Depart
ment of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday, assited by the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO).
The complaints concerns the deaths of Roceza Salgo who was 12 years old when she died on March 6, 2018; Eira Mae Galoso who was 11 when she died last July 31; and Leiden Alcabasa who was 12 when he died on January 27, 2018.
The complaints raised to 38 the total number of cases filed before the DOJ by the PAO on behalf of the families of the victims.
In the latest complaints, the respondents are accused of having committed reckless imprudence resulting in homicide under Article 365 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC); torture committed against children and torture resulting in the death of a person in violation of Republic Act 9745 (Anti-Torture Law); and for violating RA 7394 (The Consumer Act of the Philippines), particularly for mislabeled products, liability for defective products, and liability for product and service imperfection.
“Sleepless nights, mental anguish, agony, pain, and unexplainable physical suffering of the victim and their immediate relatives cannot be discounted as consequences of the criminal acts resulting in the deaths, injuries, and illnesses of the victims committed by the herein respondents,” read the complaints.
“They (respondents) recklessly, indiscriminately, and criminally licensed and purchased Dengvaxia despite its dangers and its ongoing clinical trial, and vaccinated the same indiscriminately without informed consent, screening, blood tests and diagnostic tests; thus, the evidences of the instant case clearly support the crime of Reckless Imprudence Resulting in Multiple Homicide (Art. 365 of the Revised Penal Code, violation of the Anti-Torture Act (Republic Act No. 9745), and Consumer Protection Act (Republic Act No. 7394),” it added.
The PAO also pointed out the findings of its forensic team and external experts also proved the 2015 declaration of Dengvaxia manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur which warned about the dangers of the vaccine.
“It validated and confirmed upon examination of the cadavers and tissues that vicerotropism, neurotropism, and/or increase in severity of dengue are evident upon the bodies of the victims,” the complaints said.
Garin is named as respondent in all three complaints, while Duque is a respondent in the complaint of the Galoso family.
Also named as respondents in the complaints are (DOH) officials Dr. Vicente Belizario Jr., Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go, Dr. Gerardo Bayugo, Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, Dr. Irma Asuncion, Dr. Julius Lecciones, Dr. Joyce Ducusin, Rosalind Vianzon, and Mario Baquilod.
Other respondents are Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials Dr. Maria Lourdes Santiago and Melody Zamudio; Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) officials Dr. Socorro Lupisan and Dr. Maria Rosario Capeding; Dr. Sonia Gonzales of the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC); and Dr. Raymundo Lo, a former PCMC official.
Executives of Sanofi Pastuer and local distributor Zuellig Pharma are also included as respondents.
Sanofi Pasteur executives named as respondents are Carlito Realuyo, Stanislas Camart, Jean Louis Grunwald, JeanFrancois Vacherand, Conchita Santos, Jazel Anne Calvo, Pearl Grace Cabali, and Marie Esther De Antoni.
While those from Zuellig Pharma are Kasigod Jamias, Michael Becker, Ricardo Romulo, Imran Babar Chugtai, Rayumund Azurin, Nilo Badiola, John Stokes Davison, Marc Franck, Ashley Gerard Antonio, Ana Liza Peralta, Rosa Maria Chua, Danilo Cahoy, Manuel Concio III, Roland Goco, and Ma. Visitacion Barreiro.