Noynoy Aquino attends Senate probe on Dengvaxia, says he will ‘try and allay certain fears’

Former President Benigno Aquino III on Thursday said he will “try and allay certain fears” on the controversial P3.5-billion dengue vaccine mess as he attended the Senate blue ribbon committee probe on the issue.

Aquino arrived an hour ahead of the 10 a.m. hearing to be held by the committee led by Senator Richard Gordon.

LOOK: Former President Aquino now at the Senate session hall. Blue ribbon committee chairman Richard Gordon has yet to arrive for 10am hearing pic.twitter.com/x9yxLlWfr9

— Kaecee Alvarez (@kaeceealvarez) December 14, 2017

In a brief interview, Aquino told reporters that he is “confident” in his position. He said he welcomes the invitation of the committee to answer the questions raised against the vaccination program.

“There’s been a lot of tension build-up and it’s incumbent upon me as a citizen to try and allay certain fears, to put it in proper perspective,” Aquino said.

Former President Benigno Aquino III, along with former Budget Secretary Florencio 'Butch' Abad and former Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Jr., swears to tell the truth at the blue ribbon committee hearing on Thursday, December 14, 2017, regarding the P3.5-billion Dengvaxia vaccine mess. Joseph Vidal

Former Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Jr. and former Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad also attended the blue ribbon committee hearing.

During Monday’s hearing, an official from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said the Office of the President, through Ochoa, authorized the realignment of funds for various health projects, including the Dengvaxia program.

The vaccination program began in April 2016, just a month before the May presidential elections.

The DOH said at least 830,000 public school students have been vaccinated with Dengvaxia in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Metro Manila, and Cebu. —KG, GMA News