Gov’t to go after those responsible in Dengvaxia mess

December 12, 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to go after individuals who could be liable for the controversial P3.5-billion anti-dengue vaccine program.

In a press briefing on Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte was just waiting for the results of the investigations being conducted separately by the Senate and the Department of Justice.

"Well, the president is awaiting results of the investigation. And he has promised that after investigations have been conducted both by the Senate and the Department of Justice --- that he will run after all individuals who may have criminal culpability for this," he said.

Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee investigating the anti-dengue vaccine controversy, has said former President Benigno Aquino III need to be invited to shed light on the issue.

Aquino had meet the executives of Sanofi Pasteur, manufacturer of Dengvaxia, during his term when the anti-dengue program was launched in December 2015.

Roque said in the meantime, Duterte stands by the recommendation of the Department of Health to hold Sanofi responsible.

"We want, by way of mere --- by way of minimum, a refund of what we have paid already for the Dengvaxia. That’s the declaration already of the DOH Secretary. He wants a refund of what we had paid because there was concealment of a material fact," Roque said.

Sanofi allegedly hid to the Philippine authorities that patients who were not infected before by dengue but were given Dengvaxia have high risk of suffering from severe diseases.

The DOH has suspended the anti-dengue vaccine program pending the recommendation of the World Health Organization. Celerina Monte/DMS