By Arjay L. Balinbin

FORMER DEPARTMENT of Health (DoH) Secretary Paulyn Jean B. Rosell-Ubial told the Senate blue ribbon committee on Thursday, Dec. 14, that former DoH chief Janette L. Garin’s husband, Iloilo 1st District Representative Oscar S. Garin, Jr. “pressured” her at the committee on appropriations meeting last Aug. 14 to “expand and purchase more” Sanofi Pasteur’s Dengvaxia vaccines, which she said she “strongly opposed” and for this reason, she was “not confirmed as DoH secretary.”

“I am positive that my confirmation was prejudiced by the Dengvaxia issue. I strongly opposed this at the start. When I was with DoH, I tried doing damage control,” Ms. Ubial told Senator Richard J. Gordon, committee chair, during interpellation.

She added:”I was pressured to expand to other areas. I was asked by Representative Oscar Richard Garin, Jr. to include this in the 2018 budget.”

Responding to Ms. Ubial’s accusation, Ms. Garin said: “For the record, Oscar Garin is my husband at hindi po siya miyembro ng CA (and he is not a member of the Commission on Appointments).”

“My point here, your honor, is sino po ba kami para impluwensiyahan ang (who are we to influence the) CA? It’s an independent body that should not be dragged in pointing accusations to the DoH,” said Ms. Garin, who is Ms. Ubial’s predecessor.

Mr. Gordon questioned as well why the P3.5-billion budget for the anti-dengue vaccine was released too quickly in 2015.

Former president Benigno S.C. Aquino III explained that “it was already the end of the year and if they would not be able to release the budget then, the mass vaccination would be delayed.”

Mr. Gordon said that “in 2012, out of 187,000 dengue cases, 921 have died. In 2013, out of 186,000 cases, 591 have died. In 2014, out of 113,485 cases, 425 have died. In 2015, out of 214,000 cases, 647 have died. Last year, out of 220,580 cases, 1,092 died,” all these in contrast to Mr. Aquino’s noting that “deaths from dengue cases had dropped from 1,057 in 2010 to 317 in October 2015.”

Health expert Mary Ann D. Lansang refuted Mr. Gordon’s figures, pointing out that majority of the “deaths cited in his statistics are not in the age group covered by Dengvaxia.”

World Health Organization (WHO) country representative Gundo Aurel Weiler said in his opening statement that based on the WHO position paper published in 2016, the organization did not include a recommendation to countries to introduce the dengue vaccine into their national immunization programs.

It “did not include a blanket recommendation,” Mr. Weiler said, adding that the “WHO outlined a series of considerations national governments should take into account in deciding whether to introduce the vaccine, based on a review of available data at the time, along with possible risks.”

For his part, Mr. Aquino said he “received reports Dengvaxia underwent all the necessary processes.”

“Before the government made a decision on Dengvaxia, no one expressed opposition,” Mr. Aquino said.

Meanwhile, Sanofi Pasteur’s Thomas Triomphe insisted that the “efficacy of Dengvaxia was communicated to the government.”

Ms. Garin said the launching of Dengvaxia in the country “was part of the pipeline for dengue prevention and control as suggested by the WHO in 2010 to 2012, which is to control dengue through vector control, early consultation, estimate full burden of dengue, and vaccine implementation.”

Mr. Gordon said he understands that Ms. Garin was “enthusiastic” about bringing Dengvaxia to the Philippines.

“I cannot blame you. Dengvaxia is a miracle drug,” Mr. Gordon said. “What we saw was not just the protection rate of 65.5%, but what was important was the 80.8% reduction in hospitalization and 93.2% reduction in severity,” Ms. Garin added.

Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption General Counsel Atty. Ferdinand S. Topacio, meanwhile, accused Mr. Aquino of “conspiring with other officials in illegally-funded Dengvaxia program,” saying the release of funds for the procurement of Dengvaxia had presidential approval.

Mr. Topacio also suggested that the committee conduct a probe on the “plunder” committed by “Mr. Aquino and several DoH officials.”

For his part, Mr. Aquino said at the press conference: “Yung kanina, na nagsabi ng plunder etc. na andaming sinabi. Parang napansin din ba ninyo, after nung charges na sinabi niya sa kumite na imbestigahin niyo ito. Kung baga aakusa ako ng isang tao, magsasampa ako ng kaso, may pruweba ako, doon mag-aakusa sila, pinapahanap kina Senator Gordon at miyembro ng kumite na kayo maghanap ng ebidenysa namin. Di kaya may mali doon?”

(Lately, there was someone who said many things including plunder, etc. Did you notice, after all the charges he mentioned, he told the committee to investigate us. If I were to accuse someone, I would file a case and I have proof. At the hearing, however, they made accusations against us and asked Senator Gordon and the committee members to find evidence for them. Don’t you see anything wrong with that?)

Mr. Aquino also said Mr. Topacio could be sued for his remarks.

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