Former President Benigno S. Aquino III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
MANILA, Philippines — Former President Benigno S. Aquino III has refuted the findings of a House of Representatives joint panel investigation, which recommended that charges be filed against him in relation to the Dengvaxia controversy.
In a lengthy statement on Friday, Aquino maintained that nobody expressed disapproval to Dengvaxia “before, during and after” his administration’s decision to use the vaccine for the government’s anti-dengue immunization program.
“Makailang ulit ko nang sinabi, sa Senado at sa media na nasa Kongreso, na bago nag-desisyon sa Dengvaxia, habang nagde-desisyon, at pagkatapos mag-desisyon, at maski hanggang sa ngayon ay walang nagparating sa akin ng pagtutol sa naturang bakuna, maski sa anumang anyo,” Aquino said in a statement posted on Facebook.
“Ngayon po, kung walang kumontra, ibig-sabihin, tanggap nilang totoo ang sinabi ko. Saan ngayon galing ang sinasabi sa Committee Report?” Aquino added.
A House joint panel on Wednesday recommended the filing of criminal and administrative charges against Aquino as well as former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and former Health Secretary Janette Garin, and others, concerning the purchase of Dengvaxia for the government’s P3.5 billion anti-dengue immunization drive.
READ: House panels recommend charges vs Aquino, Abad, Garin over Dengvaxia mess
According to the committee report, Aquino and other government officials violated Section 3(e) of RA No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act 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.”
But Aquino said the Dengvaxia issue had been politicized, as it even resulted in public’s distrust on vaccines.
“Maliwanag po, may mga kalaban tayo sa politika, na laging sasabihing mali ang ating ginawa o ‘di ginawa. Gumagawa sila ng isyu kung saan dapat walang isyu,” Aquino said.
“Maliwanag naman po, 17 ang BAKA may risko na magkaroon ng Grades I at II na Dengue, na hindi man lang pinaka-malubha. Binalot nila ng intriga, pagdududa, at takot ang mga bakuna.”
Aquino further said: “Pinakaba ang 837,902 at ang buong sambayanan, kaya pati ang bakunang gaya ng para sa Tigdas ay inaayawan.”
“Mga kababayan, kayo na po ang saksi sa mga ulat ng outbreak sa bansa. Kayo, ang aking mga Boss, ang siyang makakapagsabi kung sino ang tunay na nasa tama. Kayo na po ang humusga,” he added.
In November 2017, Dengvaxia manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur announced that people not infected with dengue virus before Dengvaxia vaccination might suffer severe symptoms.
The Department of Health (DOH) reported that around 830,000 people, mostly children, had been vaccinated with Dengvaxia by the time the anti-dengue immunization drive was stopped following Sanofi’s announcement. /kga
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