Palace mum on Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Dengvaxia draft report

Malacañang on Wednesday refused to comment on the draft report of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that recommends the prosecution of former president Benigno Aquino III and other officials in connection with the government’s P3.5-billion Dengvaxia mass vaccination program.

“Awaiting findings of NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) still,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a message to reporters.

During a weekly forum at the Senate on Wednesday, Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chair Senator Richard Gordon said Aquino, former health secretary Janette Garin and former  budget secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad had conspired and must be charged.

“Aquino, Garin, Abad and other officials are primary conspirators and must be held criminally liable because as succinctly put by the Old Spanish legal maxim ‘El que es causa dela causa, es causa del mal causado’- he who is the cause of the case, is the cause of the evil caused — and must be prosecuted for all the tragedy, damage and possible deaths” resulting from the Dengvaxia mass vaccination program,” Gordon said, reading from the draft report.

READ: Aquino, Abad, Garin ‘caused’ Dengvaxia ‘tragedy’ – draft report

The Department of Justice (DOJ) in December 2017 ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct an investigation and case build-up on controversial anti-dengue vaccination program of the government.

READ: DOJ orders NBI to probe P3.5-B anti-dengue drive controversy

The NBI has yet to release the results of their findings.