Sandiganbayan acquits Janette Garin, co-accused in Dengvaxia graft case

The Sandiganbayan Second Division on Tuesday acquitted Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin and her co-accused of graft charges in connection with the alleged unlawful procurement of P3.5 billion worth of Dengvaxia vaccines in 2015.

Among her co-accused were former Health undersecretaries Gerardo Bayugo and Kenneth Hartigan-Go, as well as former officials of the Philippine Children's Medical Center (PCMC).

The charges stemmed from the Aquino administration's procurement of the anti-dengue vaccines for a school-based immunization program.

In a statement, Garin welcomed the Sandiganbayan's decision, saying the acquittal vindicated the work of scientists and public health experts who supported the dengue vaccination program.

“Natutuwa kami (We're happy about it). This is a win not for me but for our scientists and experts,” Garin said following the release of the Sandiganbayan's decision.

“Our researchers, scientists and public health experts continued to attend the hearings in this case. We understand that there are anti-vaccine advocates, but we cannot neglect our duties or the vaccination effort because vaccination saves lives,” she added.

Garin also urged the public not to “demonize” vaccines, saying she would leave it to experts to address dengue immunization in the country.

Prosecutors alleged that Garin and four other officials conspired to unlawfully realign government funds for the purchase of Dengvaxia, which had not yet been included in the Department of Health's (DOH) Expanded Program on Immunization or listed in the Philippine National Drug Formulary.

The Office of the Ombudsman filed graft and technical malversation charges against the officials before the Sandiganbayan in October 2023 over alleged irregularities in the procurement.

Garin earlier denied allegations that funds had been illegally diverted to purchase the vaccines, maintaining that the allocation had been approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and covered by a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO).

Meanwhile, Hartigan-Go previously denied promoting Dengvaxia despite having worked for a foundation linked to the vaccine's distributor.

“We never promoted any product, advertised or sold through the foundation,” said Hartigan-Go, who served as executive director of the Zuellig Family Foundation from 2001 to 2009.

The Dengvaxia controversy erupted in 2017 after French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur disclosed that the vaccine could increase the risk of severe dengue among individuals who had not previously been infected with the virus.

The government subsequently suspended the dengue immunization program, which had already covered hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren.— with reports from Llanesca Panti/MCG, GMA News

Follow GMA News Online on Facebook for real-time news and developments in the Philippines and around the world.