JV Ejercito urges admin to initiate charges vs. Sanofi

Senator Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito on Thursday urged the government to help in the filing of charges against French drug manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur as he expressed support for the Senate blue ribbon committee draft report on the Dengvaxia mess.

"I am calling on our government to help our people to initiate a class suit against Sanofi," Ejercito, chairman of the Senate health committee, said in a press statement.

He said the government should push for the establishment of an indemnity fund for the children who received Dengvaxia.

"Legal action should also be taken by the Philippine government against SANOFI towards the establishment of an indemnity fund for children who were vaccinated to provide them with financial assistance for medical care throughout their lifetimes," he said.

"We need to do more to provide assistance to the victims," he added.

He said the purpose of the Dengvaxia Assistance Program Bill he filed is to monitor and address the needs of victims.

Ejercito said more than the hasty procurement, the bigger concern for him caused by the Dengvaxia fiasco is the health and future of the 830,000 children inoculated with the vaccine.

"I believe that while former President Benigno Aquino III is guilty of negligence for not exercising due diligence, it is his two Cabinet members who should be primarily held liable for the Dengvaxia mess that has endangered the lives of almost 1 million children," he said.

Ejercito added that Aquino should have exercised more prudence and oversight instead of allowing former Health secretary Janette Garin and former Budget secretary Florencio Abad to proceed with the purchase of the controversial vaccine.

"That is a failure of leadership that should hound his conscience and legacy," he said.

Blue ribbon committee chairman Senator Richard Gordon, in presenting the draft report Wednesday, said Aquino, Abad, Garin, 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.

He added 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.

But Ejercito said the Senate hearings have shown that Garin and Abad are the principal conspirators in the anomalous procurement and questionable implementation of the vaccine.

He said Garin was the one who recommended the purchase of the P3.5 billion untested vaccine.

"The purchase was pushed despite the fact that the clinical trials were not yet finished and ignored the warnings by some experts as to its dangers," he said.

"Sec. Abad, on the other hand, facilitated, recommended, and approved the release of the money without congressional approval in amazing record time, and during a holiday period at that!" he added.

Aquino, he said, is liable because of command responsibility.

"Filing of charges will give chance for all the accused to air their side and defend themselves in court," he said. —KG, GMA News