Aquino, Abad, Garin charged for election spending on Dengvaxia
By Minde Nyl R. Dela Cruz
THE Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) and former Department of Health (DoH) consultant Francis Cruz on Friday, Feb. 2, filed a joint complaint-affidavit before the Commission on Elections against former president Benigno S.C. Aquino III and officials of the DOH for alleged election offense in connection with the procurement of the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine.
Aside from the Mr. Aquino, former budget secretary Florencio B. Abad and former health secretary Janette P. Loreto-Garin were also named respondents.
VACC and Mr. Cruz said the respondents violated the Omnibus Election Code for using P3 billion in public funds in the procurement of the Dengvaxia vaccine and implementation of the Dengue Immunization Program, 45 days before the 2016 general election.
The complainants accused Mr. Aquino of using public funds “to further the candidacies of his partymates (in the Liberal Party), especially those vying for the presidential, vice-presidential and senatorial post(s), or otherwise influence or entice the voters to throw their support or vote for the candidates for president, vice-president and senator of his party in the May 2016 elections, contrary to sec. 261 (o) of said law.”
Section 261 (o) of the Omnibus Election Code prohibits the use of public funds for an election campaign.
VACC and Mr. Cruz also accused the respondents of violating Section 261 (v) which prohibits the release of public funds 45 days before the election.
“In the case of other DOH officials, they are liable for being involved, directly or indirectly, in the first round of implementation of the Dengue Immunization Program on April 4, 2016 or during the election ban,” the complaint-affidavit read.
The complainants said that “some DOH officials may have conspired with Aquino III, Abad, and Garin in the commission of the aforestated election law violations” and added that they “should also be investigated.”
Other past and present DoH officials also named in the complaint are undersecretaries Ma. Carolina Vidal-Taiño, Gerardo V. Bayugo, Lilibeth C. David, and Mario C. Villaverde; assistant secretaries Lyndon L. Lee Suy, Nestor F. Santiago; financial management and service director Laureano C. Cruz; officer-in-charge directors Maria Joyce U. Ducusin and Mar Wynn C. Bello; DoH directors Leonita P. Gorgolon, Rio L. Magpantay, and Ariel I. Valencia; Philippine Children’s Medical Center director Julius A. Lecciones; retired DoH undersecretary Nemesio T. Gako; resigned DoH undersecretaries Vicente Y. Belizario Jr. and Kenneth Y. Hartigan-Go; and resigned head executive assistant to then Secretary Garin, Yolanda E. Oliveros.
The Dengue Immunization Program began in April 2016, aimed at immunizing public schoolchildren aged 9 and above. In November last year, however, Sanofi Pasteur issued a warning that the vaccine should only be administered to patients who have previously contracted dengue, otherwise the vaccine could risk exposure to a more severe strain of the virus.
