Palace won’t meddle on Dengvaxia case vs. Garin, co-accused

The DOJ said state prosecutors found “sufficient evidence that Garin and the other respondents circumvented various regulations in the purchase of P3.5-billion worth of Dengvaxia vaccine which constituted proof of their reckless imprudence.” (File photo: Department of Health (Philippines)/Facebook)

Malacañang gave assurance that it will keep its hands off in the legal battle that former Health Secretary Janette Garin and her co-accused is currently facing over the Dengvaxia controversy.

“As always, we will not interfere in the proceedings save for the DOJ (Department of Justice) which is mandated by law to prosecute accused felons,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said on Saturday, March 2.

The spokesman’s remarks came after the DOJ on Friday found probable cause to charge Garin and 19 other officials from the Department of Health (DOH), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and Sanofi Pasteur Inc. for reckless imprudence resulting to homicide in connection with the case of eight children who died allegedly after receiving the Dengvaxia vaccine.

The DOJ said state prosecutors found “sufficient evidence that Garin and the other respondents circumvented various regulations in the purchase of P3.5-billion worth of Dengvaxia vaccine which constituted proof of their reckless imprudence.”

It also found that Garin and her co-accused have “exhibited ‘inexcusable lack of precaution and foresight’ when they facilitated, with undue haste, ‘the registration and purchase of Dengvaxia’ and used the vaccine in implementing a school-based dengue mass immunization program.”

Panelo said the defendants should view the DOJ’s latest move against them as an “opportunity” to prove their innocence.

The spokesman also appealed to the public to stop “politicizing” the issue, stressing that it will only cause “unnecessary fear” to the parents on the government’s health programs.

“We hope that true justice and peace will be attained as this is the only way we can deliver proper closure to the victims of the vaccination initiative and their families,” the Palace official said.

The previous administration launched the anti-dengue vaccination program in 2016 with Garin serving as the Health chief. However, it was suspended by the DOH the following year after Sanofi said the Dengvaxia can pose health risks if administered to people who had not been infected with dengue.