Noynoy may be held liable for realignment of funds for Dengvaxia deal

Former President Benigno Aquino III may be held liable over the implementation of the controversial dengue vaccination program, the chairman of the House Committee on Good Government said on Monday.

In a press briefing, Surigao Del Sur Representative Johnny Pimentel said his panel was already drafting the committee report on the series of hearings it conducted to probe on the Dengvaxia controversy.

Pimentel said it was established during the hearings that Aquino caused the realignment of the funds used to procure the vaccine.

"If you base it on the principle of command responsibility, it was President Aquino who approved or authorized the re-alignment. Because you cannot realign," he said.

Pimentel said the funds for the procurement of the vaccine was sourced from the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE), amounting to more than P3 billion.

"Yung pinaglipatan po nila ay sa MOOE, that is already a violation of National Budget Circular Number 559. That if you realigned savings, it would be the same allotment class. So, who authorized? Tinanong po namin, 'bawal ito bakit ninyo nirealign?' If the President authorizes it, puwede daw," Pimentel said.

"That is the legal implication that we would like to look into," he added.

Pimentel also said the procurement of the vaccine was hastened, as the Special Allotment Release Order for the project was issued and obligated on December 29, 2015.

"The process in our budgeting system, minsan po yung release lang ng SARO it will take several months. Pag-obligate po ninyo it will take several months. Pero this one, the SARO was released on the 29th, and it was obligated on the same day," he said.

The lawmaker said French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur should be banned temporarily from making transactions with the Philippines until it has returned the remaining P1.8 billion of the amount the government paid to purchase Dengvaxia.

"Dapat po, hanggang hindi po naibabalik yung pera natin dapat i-ban po iyon. Because Sanofi is supplying not only Dengvaxia, marami pong mga immunization program na sila po ang supplier," Pimentel said.

"Matagal na pong supplier ang Sanofi sa gobyerno po natin. Pero if there is a need to compel them to refund, if that is the only way," he added.

Aquino, however, has denied that the dengue vaccination program, which began in his administration, was rushed, saying that the entire process took about five years to complete.

He also reiterated the need for a dengue vaccination program during his term as the number of dengue cases then had increased. —NB, GMA News