The Public Attorneys Office (PAO) on Friday, Oct. 16, lauded the decision of the Supreme Court (SC) to consolidate to a regional trial court (RTC) all pending criminal cases concerning the anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.
“Para sa amin, landmark decision po ito ng Korte Supreme (For us. this is a landmark ruling of the SC),” said PAO Chief Persida Acosta during an online press conference.
Acosta said just last Tuesday, Oct. 14, the PAO received the SC resolution dated Aug 26 which granted the petition of parents of alleged Dengvaxia victims to consolidate the cases to a RTC family court in Quezon City.
The PAO filed the petition before the SC on behalf of the families of the victims back in April last year.
Citing the SC ruling, she said the high tribunal directed “the Executive Judge of the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City to cause the raffle of the above mentioned cases to a single branch of family court for further proceedings within three days from receipt the case records.”
The PAO chief noted that Quezon City has 10 RTC family courts.
There are currently 57 cases pending before various courts concerning 57 persons who died after having received doses of Dengvaxia.
However, Acosta lamented that some of the cases filed before metropolitan trial courts (MTC) were dismissed due to lack of jurisdiction to handle the cases.
With the SC ruling, the PAO chief said justice can finally move.
“Hindi na mapi-pingpong, hindi na madi-drible drible kung saang korte bago dumating sa tunay at tamang korte jurisdiction (It won’t be passed around before landing in the right court),” she explained.
On the other hand, Acosta hopes that the PAO will file next month before the Department of Justice (DOJ) 102 complaints concerning 101 persons who died and a boy who survived after receiving doses of Dengvaxia.
“One hundred two cases na po ang napipintong i-file (There are 102 cases set to be filed),” the PAO chief said.
She noted that 97 of the cases are ready while five are still being processed by the PAO forensics team.
There are currently 40 complaints pending for resolution at the DOJ following the conduct of preliminary investigations.
Pursuant to Department Order No. 792 issued on December 2017 by then Justice Sec. Vitaliano Aguirre II, the PAO has been accepting the requests of the families of Dengvaxia victims to assist them in the prosecution of those who should be held responsible for the deaths.