Arrest warrants have been issued by the Quezon City regional trial court (RTC) against three executives of French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi Pasteur for their alleged criminal liability over the sufferings and deaths of those who got vaccinated with the anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.

The Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) said on Monday, Feb. 1. the arrest warrants were issued against Sanofi Pasteur executives Stanislas Camart, Jean Louise Grunwald, and Jean Francois Vacherand, all of whom have been charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, among other charges.

The arrest warrants were issued by QC RTC Branch 107 which has been assigned to handle all of the criminal Dengvaxia cases.

“Considering that accused Stanislas Camart, Jean Louise Grunwald, and Jean Francois Vacherand DID NOT APPEAR on the scheduled hearing for their arraignment, Warrants for their Arrest had been issued by the court, copy furnished the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation), PNP (Philippine National Police) and the Embassy of France,” the PAO said in a statement.

The PAO said the criminal cases are calendared for pre-trial conference and the arraignment of the other accused on March 3.

Among those named as co-accused are Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and former health secretary and current Iloilo First District Rep. Janette Garin.

Meanwhile, PAO reiterated that it should not be blamed if many people have become hesitant from getting vaccinated.

“The PAO is not anti-vaccine. For lack of a better defense, personalities linked to Dengvaxia have villified the PAO, making the PAO appear as anti-vaxxers out to destroy people’s confidence in vaccines. PAO will never encroach into politics, nor in public health issues. It seeks only to perform its mandate of giving justice to the victims and survivors and follow the DOJ directive of assisting Dengvaxia victims,” it stated.

It reminded that in in December 2017 “PAO had been directed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to assist families of children and adults who fell ill and/or died after being vaccinated with Dengvaxia.”

“As of the end of January 2021, the PAO Forensic Laboratory have examined the remains of 161 children and adults who died after inoculation with Dengvaxia. And more dead victims are scheduled to be examined,” it noted.

The PAO pointed out that the only way to bring back the people’s trusts in vaccines is “to give justice to the dead victims and survivors and to punish those who pushed for the experimental Dengvaxia and disregarded people’s safety to send a message that the Philippine Government will never countenance such recklessness in public health and will always put people’s health and safety above all else.”