Noynoy Aquino faces 2nd criminal complaint over Dengvaxia mess

Former President Benigno S. Aquino III on Friday was slapped with a second criminal complaint at the Office of the Ombudsman over the alleged anomalous purchase of Dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.

Gabriela party-list Representatives Emmi de Jesus and Arlene Brosas led the complainants, including more than 70 mothers and children from Valenzuela City who were administered with the vaccine, in suing Aquino for violation of Sections 3(e) and 3(g) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Aside from Aquino, the group also included former Health secretary Janette Garin, former Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, and former Budget and Management chief Butch Abad as respondents.

Sanofi-Pasteur executives Guillaume Leroy, Olivier Brandicourt, Dr. Ruby Dizon, Thomas Triomphe, and Carlito Realuyo were named as private respondents.

In an interview with reporters, De Jesus said they also wanted to include several incumbent officials from the Duterte administration in the complaint, but said it was up to the Ombudsman to decide who among them will be added as respondents.

They earlier filed a petition for mandamus at the Supreme Court to compel the government to provide free consultations and medical services to children who were injected with the vaccine distributed by Sanofi Pasteur.

The complainants said Aquino, Garin, Ochoa, and Abad are "guilty of gross inexcusable negligence when they inexcusably failed to duly review and assess the efficacy of the vaccine and to do what was obviously expected of them as public officials."

"Respondents' acts are both cruel and appalling, as it affects us and the more than 800,000 other children who were inoculated with the controversial vaccine," the complaint-affidavit read.

They further said the respondents gave "excessive accommodations" to Sanofi when they decided to purchase the Dengvaxia vaccines in 2015 despite the lack of clinical studies then backing its safety and efficacy.

"Respondents thus knowingly and in bad faith compromised the health and safety of the children targeted for vaccination... In fact, even if the vaccine turned

Sanofi has cautioned the prescription of Dengvaxia to patients who have not had the virus in the past, since it may cause severe diseases in the long run.

After six years of studying clinical data, Sanofi said it has found out that Dengvaxia was only beneficial in the prevention of dengue fever to those who have already suffered from the other serotypes of the virus.

‘Aquino will answer accusations’

Aquino spokesperson Atty. Abigail Valte said the former chief executive will answer all accusations hurled against him over the Dengvaxia mess.

"The former president's attendance at the Senate committee hearing has proven one thing: he takes accountability seriously and will continue to answer any and all allegations thrown at him," Valte said in a text message to GMA News Online.

Aquino earlier claimed he wasn't made aware of the controversies hounding when he met them twice during his administration, saying he began to focus on dengue after receiving a memo in 2010 from then-Health Secretary Enrique Ona on the alarming increase of dengue cases in five regions.

The DOH has ordered the suspension of the vaccine program, while the Food and Drug Administration has ordered Sanofi to stop the sale, distribution and marketing of Dengvaxia.

According to the DOH, more than 830,000 children — aged 9 and above — from public schools in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Cebu were vaccinated with Dengvaxia since it was launched in April 2016.

No grievance vs. gov't

A mother whose 13-year-old daughter had rashes and high fever upon her vaccination said she holds no grudge against at the government. She, however, said health officials should have first asked the patient if they had dengue before the vaccination.

"Hindi naman po ako nagagalit. Kaya lang, sana nagtanong muna sila kung nadengue o wala pa kasi mas delikado pala yung hindi pa nadengue kesa dun sa nadengue na na-vaccine," she said, refusing to show her and her daughter's face to the camera.

More than 70 parents whose kids received Dengvaxia shots were named as complainants, including a mom where her 13-year-old daughter had rashes and fever days after her vaccination pic.twitter.com/4RrYgNPXkz

— TJ Roxas (@tj_roxas) December 22, 2017

She recalled that her daughter never had rashes and fever from her first two Dengvaxia shots.

"Pagkatapos mabakunahan, after 3 days, nilagnat pero natanggal naman. Nung December 12, nilagnat po ulit pagkatapos 41 (degrees) ang lagnat niya hindi po bumababa. Nung pinainom ko na siya gamot doon bumaba ang lagnat kaya sinugod na namin sa ospital. After ng lagnat, siguro mga kinabukasan lumabas sa kanya yung mga rashes na yan. Doon ako nag-panic," she said.

She said she has yet to allow her daughter, who developed a fear of medical facilities, to be admitted at the hospital after recommendations from doctors.

"Sabi ng doctor ibalik daw namin para ma-i-admit. Sa ngayon hindi ko pa siya pipilitin dahil ayaw pa niya e, na-phobia siya sa nangyari sa kanya," she said.

Last week, former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and former Iloilo Rep. Augusto Syjuco Jr. sued Aquino for mass murder and plunder in connection with the Dengvaxia mess.

The DOH has ordered the suspension of the vaccine program, while the Food and Drug Administration has ordered Sanofi to stop the sale, distribution and marketing of Dengvaxia. — MDM, GMA News