DOJ files charges vs Garin, et al.
Published Mar 24, 2020 12:00 am
By Jeffrey Damicog
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has begun filing charges against former Health Secretary and current Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin and her co-respondents concerning their alleged liability in the deaths of eight children who got inoculated with the Dengvaxia anti-dengue vaccine.
Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin
(KEVIN TRISTAN ESPIRITU / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) “We started filing charges in various courts,” said Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon. The charges were filed after a panel of prosecutors found probable cause to indict Garin and her co-respondents with reckless imprudence resulting to homicide under the Revised Penal Code (RPC) following the conduct of a preliminary investigation over the second batch of Dengvaxia complaints involving the deaths of eight children. The eight children are Roshaine Carino, Christine Joy Asuncion, Clarissa Alcantara, Erico Mendoza Leabres, Christine Mae de Guzman, John Paul Rafael, Michael Tablate, and Naomi Nimura. The panel also found probable cause to indict her co-respondent executives of Dengvaxia manufacturer and pharmaceutical firm Sanofi Pasteur, namely, president Carlito Realuyo and board members Stanislas Camart, Jean Louis Grunwald, Jean-Francois Vacherand, and Conchita Santos for defective products under Art. 97 of the Consumer Act of the Philippines. Probable cause was also found to indict Realuyo with mislabeling drugs in violation Art. 89 of the Consumer Act of the Philippines. The prosecutors have filed reckless imprudence resulting to homicide charges in various courts on behalf of the families of some of the victims. "Not all filed yet because of the volume of attachments per information that the courts require,” explained Fadullon. The charges were filed on behalf of the families of victims Nimura in Pasay City on Feb. 24; Asuncion in Quezon City on Feb. 21; Carino in Subic, Pampanga on Feb. 26; Alcantara in Baler, Aurora on Feb. 26; Leabres in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija on Feb. 24; and Rafael in Mariveles, Bataan on Feb. 24. Prosecutors are still readying charges on behalf of the families of De Guzman and Tablate. Prosecutors are also preparing charges against the Sanofi executives that will be filed before the Taguig City courts for violating the Consumer Act of the Philippines. Similar to the Resolution on the first batch of Dengvaxia vaccine cases, the Panel found that there was ‘inexcusable lack of precaution’ on the part of Garin and the other respondent government officials in the ‘fast-tracking of the procurement process’ for the Dengvaxia Vaccine despite being aware of its low efficacy results and potential risks associated with its use,” the DOJ previously said. “The Panel concluded that the accomplishment of the procurement process for the Dengvaxia vaccine, with undue haste, within a limited time frame, and despite the red flags known to Garin and the other respondents, amounted to reckless imprudence,” it added. The operations of courts and prosecution offices have been shut down due to the enhanced community quarantine in response to the threat of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin(KEVIN TRISTAN ESPIRITU / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) “We started filing charges in various courts,” said Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon. The charges were filed after a panel of prosecutors found probable cause to indict Garin and her co-respondents with reckless imprudence resulting to homicide under the Revised Penal Code (RPC) following the conduct of a preliminary investigation over the second batch of Dengvaxia complaints involving the deaths of eight children. The eight children are Roshaine Carino, Christine Joy Asuncion, Clarissa Alcantara, Erico Mendoza Leabres, Christine Mae de Guzman, John Paul Rafael, Michael Tablate, and Naomi Nimura. The panel also found probable cause to indict her co-respondent executives of Dengvaxia manufacturer and pharmaceutical firm Sanofi Pasteur, namely, president Carlito Realuyo and board members Stanislas Camart, Jean Louis Grunwald, Jean-Francois Vacherand, and Conchita Santos for defective products under Art. 97 of the Consumer Act of the Philippines. Probable cause was also found to indict Realuyo with mislabeling drugs in violation Art. 89 of the Consumer Act of the Philippines. The prosecutors have filed reckless imprudence resulting to homicide charges in various courts on behalf of the families of some of the victims. "Not all filed yet because of the volume of attachments per information that the courts require,” explained Fadullon. The charges were filed on behalf of the families of victims Nimura in Pasay City on Feb. 24; Asuncion in Quezon City on Feb. 21; Carino in Subic, Pampanga on Feb. 26; Alcantara in Baler, Aurora on Feb. 26; Leabres in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija on Feb. 24; and Rafael in Mariveles, Bataan on Feb. 24. Prosecutors are still readying charges on behalf of the families of De Guzman and Tablate. Prosecutors are also preparing charges against the Sanofi executives that will be filed before the Taguig City courts for violating the Consumer Act of the Philippines. Similar to the Resolution on the first batch of Dengvaxia vaccine cases, the Panel found that there was ‘inexcusable lack of precaution’ on the part of Garin and the other respondent government officials in the ‘fast-tracking of the procurement process’ for the Dengvaxia Vaccine despite being aware of its low efficacy results and potential risks associated with its use,” the DOJ previously said. “The Panel concluded that the accomplishment of the procurement process for the Dengvaxia vaccine, with undue haste, within a limited time frame, and despite the red flags known to Garin and the other respondents, amounted to reckless imprudence,” it added. The operations of courts and prosecution offices have been shut down due to the enhanced community quarantine in response to the threat of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).