Garin says immunization program not political, to attend Comelec hearing

Former Health Secretary Janette Garin on Monday insisted that the dengue immunization program during her watch was not a political exercise, as she vowed to attend the hearing scheduled by the Commission on Elections on the matter.

"It will allow me to show that the immunization program was not at all part of a political exercise as others are trying to make it appear, but was already part of DOH program to find a solution to a real health concern at that time which was Dengue," Garin said in a statement.

The Comelec had scheduled the hearing on March 15.

The hearing stemmed from the complaint filed by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, where Garin, former President Benigno Aquino III and former Budget chief Florencion Abad are accused of violating Section 261 (o) of the Omnibus Election Code.

The provision prohibits the release and use of public funds within 45 days before a regular election or 30 days before a special election. The complaint is based on the time of the release of funds for the purchase of P3.5 billion worth of Dengvaxia vaccines.

The vaccines were used in the government's dengue immunization program which was rolled out in April 2016, a month before the national elections that year.

Response to WHO

But in her statement, Garin maintained that the program was a response to the World Health Organization naming the Philippines number one in the Western Pacific Region in terms of dengue cases, as more than 200,000 dengue cases were recorded in 2013 to 2015.

"Had the program been a political one, then it would not have been school-based, but community-based. And had it been political in nature, why did Secretary designate (Paulyn) Ubial continue and expand it," she said. — Rie Takumi/RSJ, GMA News