Aquino to decide on Ona’s fate based on answers about vaccination program—Valte

MANILA, Philippines—Whether Health Secretary Enrique Ona would keep his job would depend on his formal reply to questions raised by President Benigno Aquino III particularly on the government’s vaccination program, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

“It would depend on his answers to the questions propounded by the President,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte told reporters.

Ona has gone on a one-month leave starting Oct. 28, a move initially attributed to his supposed allergic reaction to hair dye.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

But the President later said Ona was allowed to take a break to prepare his answers to issues such as the government’s immunization program.

At the same time, the National Bureau of Investigation is looking into the Department of Health’s purchase of anti-pneumonia vaccines worth P833-million in 2012.

Valte said the President had not necessarily prejudged Ona, who has been under fire for authorizing the purchase of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine 10 (PCV 10).

The National Center for Pharmaceutical Access and Management of the World Health Organization earlier recommended the supposedly more cost-efficient PCV 13.

“It’s not a sign of doubt,” Valte told reporters, referring to the President’s instruction to Justice Secretary Leila De Lima to investigate Ona.

“He (Ona) has asked for a month to gather answers to the questions that have been propounded to him so let’s give a fair shake during the month that he asked for.”

Valte noted that the Ona’s case was “not the first time that the President has asked an investigation not specifically on the person but on a particular incident.”

Former Metro Rail Transit General Manager Al Vitangcol was earlier asked to go on leave amid accusations that his group tried to extort money from a Czech train builder.

“The President does this just to ascertain the facts at hand,” Valte said.

Valte differentiated between the case of Ona and that of Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima, who was accused of corruption.

“Perhaps, different cases,” she said.

“But my understanding is that it was Secretary Ona who asked for time to be able to answers the questions asked by the President and given that there are other tasks necessary to running the Department of Health, he wanted perhaps devoted time to be able to answer the questions.”

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