Dengvaxia mess not ‘politicized’ by Duterte — Palace

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. (RENE LUMAWAG/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

Malacañang on Monday refuted allegations that President Rodrigo Duterte politicized the controversy over the anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia, after former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino hit a ‘noisy’ forensic expert commenting on the said issue.

“If it is [being politicized], it is not certainly because of the President. The President has taken a very calm, very rational approach to this. He has made a declaration that he understands why the previous administration decided to use Dengvaxia,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.

Roque said that Duterte empathized the previous administration over their decision to use Dengvaxia on the government’s immunization program.

Nevertheless, the Palace official stressed that the President expects the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to catch those who are responsible for the dengue vaccination program launched in April 2016.

“His continuing instruction is for the investigation, the NBI to continue and to conclude it so we will find out if people should be criminally liable,” Roque said.

On the same day, Aquino criticized an unnamed expert who gave opinions on the Dengvaxia issue, comparing the specialist’s certification to those fake diplomas produced in Recto, Manila.

“Masakit po nito: Lahat na lang po may opinyon, kwalipikado man o hindi, lalo na po ‘yung isang maingay na ang certification ay tila isang antas lang ang lamang sa nabibiling diploma sa Recto (What hurts is this: Everyone has an opinion, qualified or not, especially that loud expert whose certificate is similar to those diplomas that can be bought in Recto),” Aquino said in his opening statement before the House probe into the government’s immunization program.

Aquino did not disclose the name of the official, however, there have been hearsays that Dr. Erwin Erfe, an expert of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), obtained his forensic training from a “certification mill.”

PAO’s chief Persida Acosta, however, defended Erfe’s qualifications as she showed the latter’s educational background, credentials and achievements during the hearing. She maintained that Erfe is entitled to speak for the agency as its forensic expert.

The now-suspended immunization program launched during the Aquino administration vaccinated at least 830,000 children in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon.

This program was called off after the pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur admitted that its vaccine could lead to severe dengue if administered to a person who had not been infected with the virus.