Palace: ‘Let legal process take its course’ on Dengvaxia mess

This photo, taken on April 4, 2016, shows a nurse showing vials of the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia, developed by French medical giant Sanofi Pasteur, during a vaccination program at an elementary school in Metro Manila. The Philippines said on Dec. 1, 2017 it had suspended use of the landmark vaccine for the potentially deadly dengue virus after its manufacturer warned it could worsen the disease in some cases. The Philippines has vaccinated more than 700,000 children with the drug since 2016 when it became the first country to start using it on a mass scale. (Photo by NOEL CELIS / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Wednesday kept its distance from a joint House panel’s recommendation to file charges against former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, former Cabinet members, and several others over the government’s suspended dengue vaccination program.

The recommendation of the House committees on good government and public accountability, and health stemmed from the controversy over the use of anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia in the P3.5-billion national immunization program that started in 2016.

“Let the legal process take its course and those found responsible be held administratively, criminally, and civilly liable,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

Panelo assured the Department of Justice (DOJ) will perform its task and rule on the existence of a probable cause against the respondents.

“We reiterate the policy of the Administration that whoever transgresses the law will have to account for it regardless of the social status and the political affiliation of the transgressor,” the Palace official stressed.

According to the approved joint committee report, Aquino, former Budget Sec. Florencio Abad and former Health Sec. Janette Garin and others have violated Section 3(e) of RA No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The report said they should be charged for allegedly “conspiring and confederating with one another for the purpose of giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence.”

READ: House panels recommend charges vs Aquino, Abad, Garin over Dengvaxia mess

In 2017, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stopped the distribution of Dengvaxia after French drug-maker Sanofi Pasteur admitted that immunization could be dangerous to those who have not been infected with the dengue virus prior to vaccination.

A legislative inquiry has summoned former government officials for possibly being liable for negligence for purchasing the vaccine.

Some 800,000 school children were reportedly inoculated under the program. /kga