Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin has posted bail regarding the graft and malversation charges against her before the Sandiganbayan, in relation to allegations of illegally realigning public funds for the country’s dengue vaccination program.
Garin in a statement on Monday said that posting bail is a step in proving their innocence, hoping that the judicial processes can move on quickly so that doctors and scientists can do their jobs.
Garin, the former Health secretary during the time of former president Benigno Aquino III, and other Department of Health (DOH) officials were charged for allegedly realigning public funds to buy Dengvaxia, the world’s first anti-dengue vaccine.
“Posting bail is part of the agonizing process to prove our innocence. It is a crucial step in ensuring fair trial and safeguarding one’s rights,” she said.
“We hope that this first step into cleansing our name can be dealt with timely so that scientists and doctors can perform our regular tasks,” she added.
READ: Ex-DOH officials face complaints over Dengvaxia mess
According to Garin, allegations surrounding Dengvaxia have led to lower confidence over vaccines — which has already led to measles and polio outbreaks in the country.
“Resolving the issue once and for all is aligned to the Doctors for Truth clamor because global history have taught us that any vaccine demonized, usually spreads to include other vaccine preventable diseases and results to outbreaks,” she noted.
In the complaints filed by the Ombudsman last October, they cited the claims of complainants that P3.356 billion of public funds were realigned in December 2015 for the procurement of Dengvaxia vaccines from Sanofi Pasteur.
Among the complainants are the following individuals:
- Atty. Glenn Chong of Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption
- Atty. Eligio Mallari of Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution, Inc.
- Dr. Anthony Leachon
- Dr. Clarito Cairo Jr.
This is not the first time though that Garin and DOH officials faced complaints over the implementation of the anti-dengue program. In 2022, Garin pleaded not guilty over homicide cases filed by the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO).
READ: Janette Garin pleads not guilty in homicide case involving Dengvaxia
In 2020, she and another former Health secretary in Francisco Duque III faced a these of complaints after 99 victims supposedly died of severe dengue fever after being vaccinated with Dengvaxia. Garin, however, disputed the cases, saying that other countries who used the vaccines did not face the same issues.