Garin says charges baseless, reek of politicking

Iloilo Representative and former Health Secretary Janette Garin stood pat the charges hurled against her linked to the children's deaths allegedly due to Dengvaxia use were baseless and reeked of politics.

On Friday, Garin, nine officials of the Department of Health and officials of the Food and Drug Administration, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, and vaccine maker Sanofi Pasteur, Inc. were charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide.

The indictments were the outcome of the second batch of complaints filed by the parents of eight children who died allegedly after being inoculated with Dengvaxia.

"Haharapin ko ito ng buong tapang at walang takot dahil alam natin ang katotohanan," Garin said in a statement sent to GMA News Online.

"Sa sitwasyong ito, ang tunay na hustisya ay dapat makinig sa siyensya at hindi sa pamumulitika," she added.

Garin said she has yet to receive a copy of the 78-page resolution, one of the cases she is facing in connection with the use of the vaccine during her time as Health chief.

"Science has proven over and over again that no deaths have been linked to the Dengvaxia vaccine. Almost the whole world is using it now and no case like ours has surfaced," she said.

"Hustisya bang matatawag na hayaan nating mamatay ang ating mga kababayan sa mga sakit na may gamot/bakuna naman? Kung ganunman, sino ang sisingilin natin sa mga namatay sa Dengue nang tanggalin ang bakuna sa bansa? Sino ang sisingilin natin sa mga namatay dahil sa tigdas at mga nagkaroon ng polio dahil natakot sa bakuna?" Garin added.

The DOJ is still investigating several complaints filed over children's deaths that their parents, assisted by the Public Attorney's Office (PAO), claimed was caused by the dengue vaccine.

For its part, the DOH has said the supposed connection between the vaccine and the deaths has not been proven, and experts have faulted the PAO for its "vague," "non-specific" and supposedly inconclusive autopsy findings.

In November 2017, Sanofi Pasteur announced that its product may lead to “severe” dengue symptoms among patients who have not had dengue before immunization.

The government's dengue immunization program, which by then had reached more than 800,000 school children, was suspended shortly after the Sanofi disclosure.

Out of the seven criminal cases for reckless imprudence field against her, Garin said that six have been dismissed and one remains pending.

"The dismissals entail the cases' lack of basis and substance," she said.

"Sa dami ng problema at isyu sa bansa pilit pa rin binubuhay ang mga kasong walang basehan para manggipit lang at para pagtakpan ang mga mas importanteng usapin. Hindi dapat bahiran ng pulitika ang hustisya at pampublikong kalusugan," she added. —LDF, GMA News