Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin (PPAB)

House Deputy Majority Leader Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin is viewing the Ombudsman case filed against her as a positive instead of a negative. 

"We see this case as an opportunity to finally put an end to the longstanding issue that apparently continue to haunt us," Garin said in a statement Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 25. 

Garin served as Department of Health (DOH) secretary during the late former president Benigno S. Aquino III's administration. 

The Office of the Ombudsman has filed graft and technical malversation charges against Garin over the controversial school-based dengue vaccination program during the tail end of the Aquino government in 2016. 

"There are a lot of risks in advocating vaccine development that we, as doctors and vaccinologists, experience. It is part of the challenges that come with our calling to save lives," Garin said.

At any rate, the lady solon said her conscience remains clear regarding the matter.

"As we maintain our clear conscience and readiness to face the issues that confront us, we are confident that our sound exercise of discretion, which is backed by hard science, will disprove the allegations in the complaint filed by Atty. Glenn Chiong," she said.

"Finally, we firmly believe in the principles of justice and due process which our legal system upholds. With this, we fully trust that our innocence will be duly proven and the truth will come out in due time," Garin further said. 

Dengvaxia, produced by pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur, was the vaccine used by the Aquino administration for its mass inoculation campaign against dengue.