Garin unfazed by PAO's threat of more dengvaxia raps
Published Dec 16, 2019 12:00 am
By Charissa Luci-Atienza
Former Health Secretary and Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin is unfazed by the declaration of Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida Acosta that they would file more complaints against her over the Dengvaxia controversy in January next year.
Former Health Secretary and Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin
(CZAR DANCEL / MANILA BULLETIN) She shrugged off the PAO's filing of more complaints against her, even as she maintained the charges filed against her were all "recycled." "We welcome that. Let her prove her accusations in court. Maybe, she can also best explain why cases are being dismissed," Garin said in an interview on Monday. Last week, Acosta said they will likely file complaints concerning the 150 suspected Dengvaxia victims which have been autopsied by the PAO forensic team in January. "While many who can’t afford a lawyer are rotting in jail, Acosta seems busy promoting her self-declared expert, Erfe. I wonder why," Garin said. When asked if Acosta should be held accountable for fanning the Dengvaxia scare, the opposition House leader said, "Maybe, the lawyers know better." Last Friday, the PAO filed two complaints before the DOJ on behalf of the families of the victims who died after receiving shots of the still experimental anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia. There are now a total of 57 complaints filed by PAO, including the two new complaints. Garin earlier asked Acosta "to stop fooling the public" as experts from the medical and scientific community have long belied her claims. "I have always said that as long as the truth is on my side, I will never be afraid to speak and to fight," Garin said in a statement released on Saturday night in response to Manila Bulletin's query. "These charges are recycled. As for her intentions behind them, I do not know but it is certainly not for the truth nor for the families. What they are doing is mere exploitation of grieving parents. They are using public funds for this ambulance chase of nonsensical proportions for selfish interests," she said. Garin said most of the cases filed by PAO have been dismissed, suggesting the lack of basis and substance. The two complaints stemmed from the deaths of Levon Zirine Santos, 10, and Shekina Venice Arciaga, 13, who received three shots of the vaccine. Santos and Arciaga died on November 18, 2018, and on October 28, 2019, respectively. Garin said anti-vaxxers should not be given an opportunity to spread lies and disinformation about medical and scientific issues. "For the sake of public health and the public in general, I urge the media not to give her and other anti-vaxxers the platform to spread lies about medical and scientific issues. Firstly because they know nothing about medicine; and secondly, we have been through this before. They were given the airtime to talk and spread lies and disinformation, they caused hysteria and ultimately, we all paid the price with the return of Japanese encephalitis, measles, and polio," she said. "Tama na panloloko sa publiko. Ang mga bakuna ay mahalaga para sa kalusugan ng bawat isa," she said. (Stop fooling the public. Vaccines are important for the health of everyone.) In the complaints, Garin and her co-respondents were accused of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide under Article 365 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC); and for torture of children and torture resulting the deaths in violation of Sections 4(ii) and (14) in relation to Section 14(a)(1) and (5), and 15 of Republic Act 9745 (An Act Penalizing Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment). The families of the victims also accused the respondents of violating RA 7394 (The Consumer Act of the Philippines), particularly, Articles 89 (mislabeled drugs and devices), 97 (liability for defective products), and 100 (liability for product and service imperfection) in relation to Articles 95 (penalties) and 107 (penalties). Aside from Garin, the respondents included current and former Department of Health (DOH) officials, namely, Dr. Vicente Belizario Jr., Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go, Dr. Gerardo Bayugo, Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, Dr. Irma Asuncion, Dr. Julius Lecciones, Dr. Joyce Ducusin, Dr. Herminigildo Valle, Rosalind Viianzon, and Mario Baquilod. Also named as respondents in the complaints are Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials Dr. Maria Lourdes Santiago and Melody Zamudio; and officials of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), namely, Drs. Socorro Lupisan and Maria Rosario Capeding. The other respondents were Dr. Sonia Gonzales of the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC); and Dr. Raymundo Lo, a former PCMC official. Executives of Sanofi Pastuer and local distributor Zuellig Pharma were also included as respondents. The Sanofi Pasteur executives were Carlito Realuyo, Stanislas Camart, Jean Louis Grunwald, Jean-Francois Vacherand, Conchita Santos, Jazel Anne Calvo, Pearl Grace Cabali, and Marie Esther De Antoni. The respondents from from Zuellig Pharma were Kasigod Jamias, Michael Becker, Ricardo Romulo, Imran Babar Chugtai, Rayumund Azurin, Nilo Badiola, John Stokes Davison, Marc Franck, Ashley Gerard Antonio, Ana Liza Peralta, Rosa Maria Chua, Danilo Cahoy, Manuel Concio III, Roland Goco, and Ma. Visitacion Barreiro. (Charissa M. Luci-Atienza)
Former Health Secretary and Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin(CZAR DANCEL / MANILA BULLETIN) She shrugged off the PAO's filing of more complaints against her, even as she maintained the charges filed against her were all "recycled." "We welcome that. Let her prove her accusations in court. Maybe, she can also best explain why cases are being dismissed," Garin said in an interview on Monday. Last week, Acosta said they will likely file complaints concerning the 150 suspected Dengvaxia victims which have been autopsied by the PAO forensic team in January. "While many who can’t afford a lawyer are rotting in jail, Acosta seems busy promoting her self-declared expert, Erfe. I wonder why," Garin said. When asked if Acosta should be held accountable for fanning the Dengvaxia scare, the opposition House leader said, "Maybe, the lawyers know better." Last Friday, the PAO filed two complaints before the DOJ on behalf of the families of the victims who died after receiving shots of the still experimental anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia. There are now a total of 57 complaints filed by PAO, including the two new complaints. Garin earlier asked Acosta "to stop fooling the public" as experts from the medical and scientific community have long belied her claims. "I have always said that as long as the truth is on my side, I will never be afraid to speak and to fight," Garin said in a statement released on Saturday night in response to Manila Bulletin's query. "These charges are recycled. As for her intentions behind them, I do not know but it is certainly not for the truth nor for the families. What they are doing is mere exploitation of grieving parents. They are using public funds for this ambulance chase of nonsensical proportions for selfish interests," she said. Garin said most of the cases filed by PAO have been dismissed, suggesting the lack of basis and substance. The two complaints stemmed from the deaths of Levon Zirine Santos, 10, and Shekina Venice Arciaga, 13, who received three shots of the vaccine. Santos and Arciaga died on November 18, 2018, and on October 28, 2019, respectively. Garin said anti-vaxxers should not be given an opportunity to spread lies and disinformation about medical and scientific issues. "For the sake of public health and the public in general, I urge the media not to give her and other anti-vaxxers the platform to spread lies about medical and scientific issues. Firstly because they know nothing about medicine; and secondly, we have been through this before. They were given the airtime to talk and spread lies and disinformation, they caused hysteria and ultimately, we all paid the price with the return of Japanese encephalitis, measles, and polio," she said. "Tama na panloloko sa publiko. Ang mga bakuna ay mahalaga para sa kalusugan ng bawat isa," she said. (Stop fooling the public. Vaccines are important for the health of everyone.) In the complaints, Garin and her co-respondents were accused of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide under Article 365 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC); and for torture of children and torture resulting the deaths in violation of Sections 4(ii) and (14) in relation to Section 14(a)(1) and (5), and 15 of Republic Act 9745 (An Act Penalizing Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment). The families of the victims also accused the respondents of violating RA 7394 (The Consumer Act of the Philippines), particularly, Articles 89 (mislabeled drugs and devices), 97 (liability for defective products), and 100 (liability for product and service imperfection) in relation to Articles 95 (penalties) and 107 (penalties). Aside from Garin, the respondents included current and former Department of Health (DOH) officials, namely, Dr. Vicente Belizario Jr., Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go, Dr. Gerardo Bayugo, Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, Dr. Irma Asuncion, Dr. Julius Lecciones, Dr. Joyce Ducusin, Dr. Herminigildo Valle, Rosalind Viianzon, and Mario Baquilod. Also named as respondents in the complaints are Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials Dr. Maria Lourdes Santiago and Melody Zamudio; and officials of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), namely, Drs. Socorro Lupisan and Maria Rosario Capeding. The other respondents were Dr. Sonia Gonzales of the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC); and Dr. Raymundo Lo, a former PCMC official. Executives of Sanofi Pastuer and local distributor Zuellig Pharma were also included as respondents. The Sanofi Pasteur executives were Carlito Realuyo, Stanislas Camart, Jean Louis Grunwald, Jean-Francois Vacherand, Conchita Santos, Jazel Anne Calvo, Pearl Grace Cabali, and Marie Esther De Antoni. The respondents from from Zuellig Pharma were Kasigod Jamias, Michael Becker, Ricardo Romulo, Imran Babar Chugtai, Rayumund Azurin, Nilo Badiola, John Stokes Davison, Marc Franck, Ashley Gerard Antonio, Ana Liza Peralta, Rosa Maria Chua, Danilo Cahoy, Manuel Concio III, Roland Goco, and Ma. Visitacion Barreiro. (Charissa M. Luci-Atienza)