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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Garin, Duque face fresh Dengvaxia raps

Garin, Duque face fresh Dengvaxia raps

Published Nov 18, 2019 12:00 am
By Jeffrey Damicog Iloilo First District Representative Janette Garin and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III are now facing more criminal complaints before the Department of Justice (DOJ) over their alleged liability in the deaths of those who received shots of the still experimental anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia. PAST AND PRESENT – Former Health secretary Janette Garin (left), who has been linked by another former Health chief Enrique Ona to the Dengvaxia controversy, chats with Health Secretary Francisco Duque (right) during a break in the Senate hearing Monday. (Czar Dancel) Former Health secretary Janette Garin (left) and Health Secretary Francisco Duque (right) (CZAR DANCEL / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida Acosta went to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday (Nov. 18) to file six criminal complaints on behalf of the families of the victims. “Six new criminal cases have been filed today,” Acosta told reporters. The new complaints concerned the deaths of school children who received Dengvaxia, namely Renelyn Avellanosa from Cavite; Psalm Dioquino, Bulacan; Lalaine Laylay, Las Piñas; Levie Losanga, Quezon City; Theresa Romano, Bulacan; and Lennon Carl Ribo, Taguig City. With this, the PAO chief said there are now a total of 55 complaints which have been filed before the DOJ concerning 54 persons who died and one child who survived after getting shots of Dengvaxia. Meanwhile, Acosta has vowed that the PAO will continue to file Dengvaxia complaints before the DOJ. “148 na po ngayon ang natapos na autopsy at sa linggong ito may isa pang ia-autopsy (The PAO has already autopsied 148 victims with one more this coming Sunday),” she cited. Under the complaints, the respondents were accused of reckless imprudence resulting to homicide under Article 365 of the Revised Penal Code; torture resulting in the death of a person and torture committed against children under Republic Act 9745, the Anti-Torture Act of 2009; and for violating RA 7394, the Consumer Act of the Philippines, particularly, the mislabeling of drugs and devices, liability for defective products, and liability for product and service imperfection. Aside from Garin and Duque, the others who were also named as respondents in all or some of the complaints were 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 were 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 included 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. Sanofi Pasteur executives named as respondents were Carlito Realuyo, Stanislas Camart, Jean Louis Grunwald, Jean-Francois Vacherand, Conchita Santos, Jazel Anne Calvo, Pearl Grace Cabali, and Marie Esther De Antoni. While, those 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.
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