Aquino vows to tell truth about Dengvaxia program

Former president Benigno Aquino III: ‘We want to participate in telling the truth.’

Update

Former President Benigno Aquino III has vowed to tell the truth about the botched P3.5-billion anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia, which was first administered to youth during his time.

Aquino, in a text message to INQUIRER.net on Tuesday, confirmed receiving an invite from the Senate blue ribbon committee investigating the controversy.

“We received an invite today (Tuesday) at around 4:10 p.m.,” the former president said.

“We want to participate in telling the truth to the people as we have always done; at the same time, observing compliance to various laws, rules and traditions,” Aquino said when asked if he would attend the probe.

The committee chaired by Senator Richard Gordon is set to resume its hearing on the issue this Thursday.

Gordon earlier said Aquino and former Health Secretary Janette Garin could be held criminally liable for implementing the dengue immunization program, which had been suspended due to safety concerns.

The fund for the purchase of the vaccine was approved on December 29, 2015 or just months before Aquino’s term ended the following year.

But French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur had earlier admitted that its own vaccine might be potentially harmful if administered to individuals not previously infected with dengue.

READ: Pharma firm issues caution on use of anti-dengue vaccine