PAO morale ‘boosted’ upon learning Duterte kin got Dengvaxia shots —Acosta

The Public Attorney's Office (PAO) had a morale boost upon learning it was also "fighting" for President Rodrigo Duterte's family in its search for accountability over the Dengvaxia mess, its chief, lawyer Persida Rueda-Acosta, said Thursday.

"Nakaka-boost ng morale namin [na] ang ipinaglalaban pala namin [ay] hindi lang itong pangkaraniwang magulang, pangkaraniwang bata kundi pinaglalaban din namin mismo ang First Family, ang pamilya ng pangulo ng Republika ng Pilipinas," Acosta told reporters after a hearing at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila.

She made the statement after Special Assistant to the President Christopher "Bong" Go bared that Duterte's youngest daughter Veronica, daughter-in-law January and granddaughter Sabina got doses of the controversial anti-dengue vaccine.

PAO, which has been conducting forensic examinations on children whose deaths are being linked to Dengvaxia, legally represents nine families in criminal complaints against ranking former and incumbent Health officials.

"Ito'y paglalaban para sa hustisya hindi para sa iisa lang o para sa iilan o sa mga mahihirap kundi para rin sa ilang may mga mataas na estado sa ating lipunan," Acosta said.

At the latest count, eighty-seven people who received Dengvaxia have died of dengue and other illnesses, but it is not yet known whether the deaths are directly related to the vaccine.

The government halted its anti-dengue vaccination program after Sanofi Pasteur, the drug's manufacturer, announced that Dengvaxia may worsen a subsequent case of dengue among people who have not been infected with the mosquito-borne disease prior to immunization.  —KBK, GMA News