House leader urges Dengvaxia probe resource persons to be 'complete, truthful'
Published Nov 18, 2018 07:33 pm
By Charissa Luci-Atienza
"Answer our questions completely and truthfully."
This was the appeal of Camiguin Rep. Xavier Jesus Romualdo, chairman of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, as the Lower Chamber reopens probe on the Dengvaxia controversy this week.
Camiguin Rep. Xavier Jesus “XJ” Romualdo
(Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) The House leader said they were counting on former Budget Secretary Butch Abad, former Health Secretaries Janette Garin and Paulyn Ubial and other resource persons to shed light on the allegedly anomalous procurement of P3.5 billion worth of Dengvaxia vaccines in 2015. “As with all other investigations we conduct, I just expect the resource persons to answer our questions completely and truthfully,” Romualdo said. He said among those invited to attend the two-day investigation were Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida Acosta, former Health Undersecretary Kenneth Hartigan Go, and members of Ubial’s two panels of experts. Officials from the Department of Health (DoH), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Philippine Children Medical Center (PCMC), and Philippine Association of Pathologies are also expected to attend the probe. Romualdo cited the need to reopen the Lower Chamber's Dengvaxia investigation to come up with "very complete and comprehensive report" in which involved officials will be pinpointed and be held liable. He said they will come up with their panel report on the issue before Congress adjourns for monthlong Christmas break. Reliable sources said Romualdo initiated the hearings to give credibility to his panel report since he was not part of the previous joint probe. His panel was previously chaired by Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel which conducted several hearings jointly with the House Committee on Health, chaired by Quezon Rep. Helen Tan. "Yong draft before sa time ni Chairman Pimentel, may findings naman talaga sila ng liability. Sa nakita kong na-prepare before, hindi lang na-identify yong sino yong mga parang general lang," Romualdo said. "Yong sa akin kasi gusto ko pinpointed talaga," he said.
Camiguin Rep. Xavier Jesus “XJ” Romualdo(Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) The House leader said they were counting on former Budget Secretary Butch Abad, former Health Secretaries Janette Garin and Paulyn Ubial and other resource persons to shed light on the allegedly anomalous procurement of P3.5 billion worth of Dengvaxia vaccines in 2015. “As with all other investigations we conduct, I just expect the resource persons to answer our questions completely and truthfully,” Romualdo said. He said among those invited to attend the two-day investigation were Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida Acosta, former Health Undersecretary Kenneth Hartigan Go, and members of Ubial’s two panels of experts. Officials from the Department of Health (DoH), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Philippine Children Medical Center (PCMC), and Philippine Association of Pathologies are also expected to attend the probe. Romualdo cited the need to reopen the Lower Chamber's Dengvaxia investigation to come up with "very complete and comprehensive report" in which involved officials will be pinpointed and be held liable. He said they will come up with their panel report on the issue before Congress adjourns for monthlong Christmas break. Reliable sources said Romualdo initiated the hearings to give credibility to his panel report since he was not part of the previous joint probe. His panel was previously chaired by Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel which conducted several hearings jointly with the House Committee on Health, chaired by Quezon Rep. Helen Tan. "Yong draft before sa time ni Chairman Pimentel, may findings naman talaga sila ng liability. Sa nakita kong na-prepare before, hindi lang na-identify yong sino yong mga parang general lang," Romualdo said. "Yong sa akin kasi gusto ko pinpointed talaga," he said.