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Persida Acosta 'just doing her job' —DOJ chief


Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Thursday defended Public Attorney's Office (PAO) chief Persida Acosta, whom the Department of Health (DOH) is blaming for a supposed vaccination scare that reportedly contributed to a measles outbreak in Metro Manila.

"PAO chief Acosta is just doing her job and certainly does not intend to scare the public about the possible negative effects of vaccination in general," Guevarra said in a text message to reporters.

"That's why the DOH, with the president's support, will launch a vigorous campaign to inform the people about the necessity of vaccination to prevent common illnesses such as flu and measles."

Representing parents of children who died after being inoculated with the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia, the PAO with Acosta at the helm accuses several DOH officials of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide in more than 30 complaints filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Guevarra said he has ordered the investigating prosecutors to resolve the cases this month.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, a respondent in some of the complaints, last week said Acosta's "baseless claims and accusations" led to the "decline in vaccine confidence and a rise in cases of measles and other vaccine preventable diseases."

Just on Wednesday, Duque declared a measles outbreak in the National Capital Region. He said the number of measles patients from Jan. 1 to Feb. 6 increased by 550 percent compared to the same time last year.

The cases were reportedly rampant in Quezon City, Manila, Caloocan, Marikina, Pasig, Navotas, Paranaque, Taguig, Pasay, and Malabon.

Acosta has washed her hands of the alleged vaccination scare, saying it is the duty of the DOH to spread vaccine awareness.

She said the PAO only performed its duty when it investigated the government's anti-dengue vaccination program as ordered by the DOJ during Vitaliano Aguirre II's term as secretary.

"Wala kaming pananagutan dahil tumutupad lang kami ng tungkulin," she said. She also clarified that except for Dengvaxia, she is not against vaccination. "Wala akong kalabang bakuna, wala akong kinakalaban." —KBK, GMA News

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