Aquino, officials slapped with plunder complaint over Dengvaxia fiasco

FILE: Former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and his administration were slapped on Thursday, May 10, with a new complaint in connection with the suspended P3.5 billion Dengvaxia immunization program. (PRIB Photo by Joseph Vidal via Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

Former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and his administration were slapped on Thursday, May 10, with a new complaint in connection with the suspended P3.5 billion dengue immunization program.

Ferdinand Topacio, Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) lawyer, filed plunder, malversation of public funds, and graft charges against Aquino before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Other respondents in the VACC complaint were former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, former Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., and former Health Secretary Janette Garin.

In his complaint, Topacio argued that these officials “took advantage of the official position to unjustly enrich themselves, Sanofi and Zuellig Pharma. at the expense and prejudice of the Eight Hundred Thirty Thousand (830,000) Filipinos who were vaccinated with an untested and now proved to be unsafe vaccine, Respondents have conspired and connived with each other to commit the crime of Plunder.”

The Commission on Audit (COA) earlier raised questions on the procurement of the anti-dengue vaccine, including holding pre-procurement activities ahead of the effectivity date of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Health (DOH) and Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC).

The report of the COA only stated P3 billion, but Topacio’s complaint showed it was P3.5 billion.

The remaining P500 million, according to the complaint, “was later re-allocated and commingled with another government project, the Health Facility Enhancement Program.”

“Coupled with the failure to account for more than PhP500,000,000.00 as explained by Dr. Cruz, then there is more than enough reason, based on logic and human experience, that the Respondents have amassed huge amounts of money for personal gain, arising from the massive purchase of the Dengvaxia vaccine,” the complaint read.

The Dr. Cruz that Topacio was referring to in his complaint is Francis Cruz who was the consultant of former Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial.  He previously exposed the operation of an alleged “mafia” inside the DOH, consisting of several former and incumbent officials who benefitted from the controversial procurement of Dengvaxia.

The following were also named as respondents in the complaint: DOH Undersecretaries Maria Carolina Vidal-Taiño, Gerardo Bayugo, Lilibeth David, Mario Villaverde, Nemesio Gako, Vicente Belizario, Kenneth Hartigan-Go, Assistant Secretaries Lyndon Lee Suy and Nestor Santiago Jr, Directors Laureano Cruz, Irma Asuncion, Leonita Gorgolon, Rio Magpantay, Ariel Valencia, OIC Directors Maria Joyce Ducusin and Mar Wynn Bello, former Head Executive Assistant to Garin, Dr. Yolanda Oliveros; and PCMC Executive Director Dr. Julius Lecciones.

Aquino’s camp earlier said that the former Philippine leader is ready to face more charges lodged against him over the dengue immunization program that was launched under his administration

Likewise, Garin also stressed that she is prepared to answer any complaints that will be filed against her in the court as she maintained that her conscience is clear.

The vaccination was called off last December, following concerns over the risks posed by Dengvaxia to those who had not had the infection.