AMID RECENT developments, the House committees on health and on good government and public accountability continues its probe today, Feb. 5, on the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine.

Last Friday, the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) bared the results of its study which found that at least three of 14 deaths under their investigation were due to dengue despite the said fatalities having receiving Dengvaxia.

Sought for comment, Surigao del Sur Representative Johnny Ty Pimentel, who heads the committee on good government and public accountability, said in a text message: “We will proceed with our hearing [today] in spite of the recent developments [because] we still have many questions [to ask] and there are still many documents [that] must be submitted to the committee.” Mr. Pimentel heads the inquiry together with Quezon Representative Angelina D.L. Tan, chairperson of the health committee.

The hearing, which is based on House Resolutions (HRs) 444, 480, and 1519 as well as the Nov. 28, 2016 privilege speech of Oriental Mindoro Representative Paulino Salvador C. Leachon, seeks to probe the possible irregularity in the P3.5-billion vaccine contract with pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur.

“Some of the required documents pertain to the procurement and we are deliberating if there is a need to invite former president [Benigno S.C. Aquino III],” Mr. Pimentel added.

Among the resource persons invited to the hearing are incumbent and former officials of the Department of Health (DoH) led by Secretary Francisco T. Duque III and a predecessor of his, Janette L. Garin, Sanofi Pasteur Asia-Pacific head Thomas Triomphe, Sanofi Philippines Medical Director Maria Ruby Rosa Dizon, Formulary Executive Council (FEC) Chair Froilan A. Bagabaldo, and World Health Organization (WHO) Philippines representative Gundo Weiler.

The program was halted in November last year after Sanofi Pasteur warned that the vaccine should not be administered to patients who have not had dengue before.

For his part, Senator Richard J. Gordon on Sunday said the blue ribbon committee has unearthed documents on the vaccine that he claimed were being hidden by DoH officials.

“We have found that there [are] people who have hidden documents, DoH officials who did not report the deficiencies of Sanofi,” he said in a radio interview.

Mr. Gordon said the documents would show Ms. Garin’s influence when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allowed the Dengvaxia manufacturer to distribute its product in the country back in 2015.

He said he planned to raise the issue on Tuesday when the Senate continues its investigation into the Dengvaxia fiasco.

Also in the interview, Mr. Gordon said Mr. Aquino III and former budget secretary Florencio B. Abad, as well as other DoH officials, could be charged with graft over the alleged improper procurement of the vaccines.

“Graft cases can be filed to those who made the improper, illegal procurement of the vaccine… I’m sure that they would be hit there. I have no doubts,” Mr. Gordon said in Filipino.

They could also be charged with homicide or physical injuries through reckless imprudence if it is proven that the vaccine caused the deaths of children who received Dengvaxia, the senator also pointed out.

But asked about a complaint filed by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) last Friday, Mr. Gordon said he disagreed with the charges that the group filed against Mr. Aquino, Ms. Garin and other former DoH officials.

“I don’t agree necessar(ily) with what they filed….That has not been proven. We are not yet there. It was done haphazardly,” he said in Filipino.

The VACC in its complaint asserted that the former officials violated Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code when they procured the vaccines 45 days before the May 2016 national elections. — Minde Nyl R. dela Cruz, Camille A. Aguinaldo

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