Nina ROMMEL P. TABBAD at CZARINA NICOLE O. ONG, at ulat ni Hannah L. Torregoza
Naghain kahapon ng mga reklamong mass murder at plunder sa Office of the Ombudsman laban kina dating Pangulong Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III at dating Health Secretary Janette Garin kaugnay ng kontrobersiya sa P3.5-bilyon halaga ng bakuna kontra dengue na Dengvaxia.
Naglakas-loob si dating Iloilo Rep. Augusto Syjuco, Jr. na isampa ang nasabing mga reklamo laban kina Aquino at Garin “for and on behalf of 733,000 school children who were inoculated with the deadly vaccine Dengvaxia” kahit pa newspaper clippings lamang ang sinasabing mga ebidensiya nito.
“I file this complaint for the crimes of mass murder and other related and resultant crimes through Reckless Imprudence, Negligence, and Plunder and Graft and Corruption,” saad sa reklamo ni Syjuco.
Romina, patuloy na kumikilos pahilaga; hindi na nakaaapekto sa Kalayaan Islands
“The drug Dengvaxia was specific only for those who have had dengue, for which these would have had no useful effect, but harmful to the overwhelming numbers of those who have not been previously afflicted with the disease of dengue, who will now have dengue somewhere in their lifetime, our own Filipino versions of Frankenstein or of the popular TV program, ‘The Walking Dead,’ thanks to this enigmatic inheritance from Aquino,” sabi pa ni Syjuco, na dating hepe ng Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
WALANG EBIDENSIYA
Hinimok din ni Syjuco ang publiko na lumantad sa Ombudsman upang makakalap ng sapat na ebidensiya sa mga kasong inihain niya, makaraang aminin na wala siyang hawak na ebidensiya maliban sa mga ginupit niyang artikulo sa mga pahayagan.
“I have put together a compendium of newspaper articles and reports and I have put together 22 of these reports,” ani Syjuco. “I am asking the Ombudsman to investigate. Do I have all the proof in the world? No, I don’t. As a citizen all I have to do is complain and the Ombudsman is the one who is supposed to conduct the investigation.”
Naghain ng reklamo si Syjuco isang araw makaraang humarap sa pagdinig ng Senado si Aquino nitong Huwebes, at iginiit na sa buong panahon na pinaplano nila ang programa sa pagbabakuna kontra dengue hanggang sa ipatupad na ito ay wala siyang natanggap na pagtutol dito.
‘GOOD FAITH’ NI NOYNOY
Naniniwala naman ang ilang senador na walang malisya ang pag-apruba ng dating Pangulo sa pagbili ng P3.5-bilyon Dengvaxia, at sinabing maling impormasyon ang ipinarating kay Aquino tungkol sa bakuna ng Sanofi Pasteur.
“Personally, I think PNoy did it in good faith, to avert dengue outbreak in the future,” sabi ni Senator JV Ejercito.
“But it’s the other officials who might have taken advantage and did not give him an extensive report that includes the risk if there was.”
Sinegundahan naman ni Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian ang sinabi ni Ejercito, iginiit na responsibilidad ng alter-ego ng Pangulo ang suriin ang isang panukala bago ito isumite sa presidente.
“Any chief executive relies on his or her alter egos for accurate and timely information. It is the responsibility of the alter ego, in this case former secretary (Janette) Garin to meticulously vet any proposals for public health to the president,” ani Gatchalian. “Clearly in the hearing, the former secretary gave the former president incomplete information about Dengvaxia which made him decide to conduct massive immunization among children.”
Sa press briefing pagkatapos ng Senate hearing, sinabi ni Aquino na ang Sanofi ang dapat na managot sa kontrobersiya kung mapatutunayang inilihim nito ang mahahalagang impormasyon tungkol sa bakuna.
Sinabi rin niyang hindi niya pinagsisisihan na inaprubahan niya ang pagbili ng Dengvaxia dahil kinailangan niyang tugunan ang mabilis na pagdami ng kaso ng dengue sa bansa.
