Aquino, Garin, Abad, other execs conspired in Dengvaxia mess — Gordon

Senator Richard Gordon said Wednesday that former President Benigno Aquino III, former Health Secretary Janette Garin, and former Budget chief Florencio Abad conspired and must be charged for the government's P3.5-billion Dengvaxia vaccine purchase and mass vaccination.

“Aquino, Garin, Abad, and other officials are primary conspirators and must be held criminally liable and must be prosecuted for all the tragedy, damage, and possible deaths resulting from the Dengvaxia mass vaccination program,” Gordon said at a press conference.

Gordon, reading the draft report of the Senate blue ribbon committee, said Aquino, Garin, Abad and other government officials should be investigated and prosecuted for graft and violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

“President Aquino is guilty of malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance. From the time he inappropriately met with Sanofi in Beinjing on November 9, 2014 and once again a year later in December 1, 2015,” he said.

He said Aquino is the highest official of the land and by meeting with mere senior vice presidents of Sanofi Pasteur, the former was sending a strong message or perception that he was dispensing undue patronage.

Gordon said each time there is a meeting, the bureaucracy started acting with undue haste, losing all forms of objectivity; ignoring warnings from experts, local and international; and started acting in wanton disregard of the health and welfare of the children, and putting them all in grave peril.

“Thus was our bureaucracy regulatorily captured and rendered inutile. Whenever Aquino and Garin met with Sanofi, the bureaucracy offered no resistance at all, following meekly as lambs, with DOH acting like runaway train to the point that Usec Hartigan-Go categorically testified during the hearings that ‘a political decision to allot the budget from the national agencies’ savings was already made by higher committee’,” he said.

He said Garin could not have released the money through a Special Allotment Release Order and Notice of Cash Allocation without the participation and approval of Aquino and Abad, who realigned the savings from the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefit Fund and committed technical malversation for programming funding to an  activity that was not appropriated a budget by Congress.

“To get a SARO from savings of this magnitude of P3.5 billion leaves no doubt that it can only be done with the President’s knowledge and approval,” he said.

‘Purchase done sans research’

Gordon said the purchase ignored objection of local and international experts from the academe and practitioners who feared that a subsequent infection after vaccination could bring severe dengue.

He said the purchase was done without adequate research on the background and track record of the supplier, Sanofi Pasteur. 

“During the meetings, Sanofi Pasteur, the makers of Dengvaxia, had a sordid reputation, with a string of bribery, false claims, antitrust,and other unethical practices. The President [Aquino] claimed he did not know - in the vernacular, ‘Hindi ko alam.’ In procuring the drug, he (Aquino) did not bother to ask his subordinates, his researchers, various experts, or even check the internet,” he said.

Malacañang declined to pass judgment on the draft committee report.

"[We are] awaiting findings of the NBI still," presidential spokesman Harry Roque said, referring to the criminal probe being conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation into the Dengvaxia mess.

Aquino defended decision

Appearing before a Senate hearing in December last year, Aquino defended his administration’s decision to purchase Dengvaxia. 

“Diin ko lang po: Bago nagdesisyon ang gobyerno sa Dengvaxia, habang nagdedesisyon, pagkatapos magdesisyon at hanggang sa ngayon, walang naparating sa akin ng pagtutol sa bakuna,” Aquino said.

“Kaya natin inilunsad ito sa NCR, Calabarzon, at Central Luzon, dahil ayon sa datos ng DOH, ito po ang tatlong pinaka-apektadong rehiyon nung 2015 kaugnay ng dengue,” he said.

Garin also said that her conscience is clear as far as the issue is concerned. 

“I’m ready to face all charges because my conscience is clear. The desire to be with the Department of Health, to be with the medical society in saving lives was our primary consideration because vaccines still saves lives and dengue has no cure,” she said.

Others recommended to be charged

In the draft committee report, also recommended to be charged with graft and corruption and violation of Republic Act 6713 were Philippine Children’s Medical Center chief Dr. Julius Lecciones; former Food and Drug Administration head Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go; former FDA officer in charge Dr. Lourdes Santiago; FDA Center for Drug Regulation and Research officer in charge Dr. Melody Zamudio; Disease Prevention and Control Bureau officers in charge Director III Dr. Joyce Ducusin and Director IV Dr. Mario Baquilod.

Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, meanwhile, was recommended to be charged with perjury or false testimony.

Asked why former Health secretary Paulynn Ubial was not among those recommended to be charged when she expanded the program during her term, Gordon said he believes Ubial is not guilty.

“She was pressured. This is our recommendation, as far as we are concern she was not the most guilty. You can’t mix politics in Dengvaxia,” he said. 

He added that Ubial did not have the advice of Sanofi on the negative effects of Dengvaxia.

“Remember, dahil at that time wala pa naman talaga, hindi pa lumalabas ang facts na ito, hindi naman sila makapasok agad. Wala pang advise ang Sanofi na ‘nagkamali kami’,” he said.

He said anybody is free to file charges against Ubial.

“Like what I said nobody is stopping anybody to file a case against her. But in the real world na nakikita ko talagang puwersado e,” he said.

Gordon said the draft committee report will be sent to the offices of the senators for signature and he will report it to the plenary when session resumes in May. — with Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News