Duque questions PAO’s motives in filing Dengvaxia rap
Department of Health Secretary (DOH) Francisco Duque III has questioned the intentions of Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Presida Acosta in filing charges against him in relation to the Dengvaxia fiasco.
Duque said PAO could have simply applied for a subpoena to get the master list of the recipients of the national dengue vaccination program instead of filing a complaint.
He cited a similar instance in the past when the DOH submitted the same documents after receiving a subpoena from the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
“The National Privacy Commission issued Advisory Opinion No. 2018-007 dated February 26, 2018, cautioning the Department of Health that the release of the master list of Dengvaxia recipients might be considered unauthorized,” Duque said.
The DOH said that it has informed the PAO of the implications of the Data Privacy Act.
“As a lawyer, she knows she can get the master list if she applied for a subpoena from a competent authority. She could easily get it from the DOJ or the NBI. Yet, PAO decided to make a circus out of the situation by dragging mourning parents to court and file baseless charges,” Duque added.
PAO assisted the parents of a teenager who allegedly died due to Dengvaxia-related complications in filing a case against Duque.
READ: Obstruction of justice rap filed vs Duque over Dengvaxia mess
Consultant for Garin?
The health secretary also denied that he was consulted for the national dengue vaccination program during the tenure of former DOH Secretary Janette Garin.
Duque’s participation in the Dengvaxia program in 2015 was because of his chairmanship of the Civil Service Commission, not as a consultant for decision-making processes, according to the DOH.
“I vehemently deny that I was engaged as consultant for the DOH at any time during Secretary Garin’s tenure. I accepted my designation in May 2015 long before the decision to implement the Dengvaxia immunization was made by then Secretary Garin of which at that time I was completely unaware of,” Duque said.
He also clarified that it was Malacañang’s request that DOH handle the drafting of guidelines for financial assistance claims.
“It escapes me why Atty. Acosta is questioning the goodwill of President Duterte in providing assistance to bereaved families,” he added. /ee
