Senators back Noynoy Aquino amid Dengvaxia controversy

Some senators think former President Benigno Aquino III acted in good faith when he gave the go signal on the purchase of Dengvaxia vaccines.

Senator JV Ejercito, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, said it was possible that Aquino was simply “misinformed” about the dengue vaccine issue.

“Personally, I think PNoy did it in good faith, to avert dengue outbreak in the future. 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,” Ejercito said in a statement Friday.

“My personal take is that not all information was disclosed, so that the transaction will push through. Possible that he was misinformed on the whole dengue vaccine issue,” Ejercito further said.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian echoed the sentiment of Ejercito, saying Aquino, as the chief executive then, relied on his alter egos for accurate information on the dengue vaccine.

“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.

Senator Joel Villanueva, for his part, said that while accountability should be determined, he believes the former President “acted in the best interest of the people.”

“I stand by President Noy, given the circumstances, information and research given and available to him, he acted in the best interest of our people,” Villanueva said on his social media account.

Aquino, together with former Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and former Budget secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad, faced the Senate blue ribbon committee probe on the Dengvaxia controversy Thursday.

Aquino said no one protested then when his administration decided to purchase the vaccines.

“Kung 'di lumabas itong sinabi ng Sanofi, at nagdesisyon akong hayaan na lang na magdusa pa ang mga boss ko, gayong may bakuna na, palagay ko ngayon, iba ang tanong ninyo at asunto sa 'kin: Bakit mo pinabayaan ang Pilipino?” the former President said.

Aquino also said that he was told that the vaccine went through “local and international processes.”

The DOH has stopped the use of Dengvaxia after Sanofi, the manufacturer of the vaccines, said results of a recent study showed it can actually put at risk people who have not been previously exposed to the disease.

At least least 830,000 students have been vaccinated with Dengvaxia in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Metro Manila, and Cebu. —KG, GMA News