House panels recommend filing of charges vs Aquino, others over Dengvaxia mess

Comments · 1818 Views

A joint panel of the House of Representatives recommended the filing of charges against former President Benigno Aquino III and several others over the Dengvaxia mess.

The committee report approved by the House panels on good government and public accountability and health, and which was released on Wednesday, Feb. 6, also recommended the filing of graft, technical malversation and civil charges against former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and former Health Secretary Janette Garin.

The report said Dr. Maria Joyce Ducusin, Dr. Rosalind Vianzon, Dr. Mario Baquilod, Dr. Julius Lecciones, Dr. Estrella Paje-Villar, members of the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) Bids and Awards Committee, Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go and Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy may also be held liable for graft, among others.

“These officials provided shortcuts in the process to favor Sanofi Pasteur, the manufacturer of a commercially available dengue vaccine. These officials may therefore be held liable for, conspiring and confederating with one another for the purpose of ‘giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference,'” the committee report said.

Over 800,000 schoolchildren were injected the controversial Dengvaxia under the then-Aquino government’s national immunization program.

Separate charges have already been filed against Aquino and the others before the Department of Justice in connection with the Dengvaxia mess.

 
 

 

 

Comments