MANILA — The parents of three teeners who reportedly died after being vaccinated with Dengvaxia filed Thursday a criminal complaint before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against former Health Secretary Janette Garin and 36 others.
The parents of Marc-Axl D. Eboña, Alexzander A. Jaime, Rei Jazztime D. Alimagno, assisted by Public Attorney’s Office Chief Persida Rueda-Acosta, filed a case of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide under Article 365 of the Revised Penal Code and violation of Republic Act No. 9745 (Anti-Torture Act).
The complaints filed by Eboña and Almagno families also accused the respondents of obstruction of justice under Presidential Decree 1829.
This is the ninth complaint filed against Garin and 36 others over the controversial anti-dengue vaccine.
Acosta said the tragedy would not have occurred had not the Department of Health (DOH) purchased so many of the vaccine and conducted mass vaccination of Dengvaxia despite the risks cited by the manufacturer, Sanofi Pasteur.
“Alam pala nila na may side effects ito bakit po pinili at napakalaking populasyon ang binakunahan (They knew of the side effects but they still decided to vaccinate a large population),” she told reporters.
The PAO filed the charges after its forensic teams established that all nine victims died of organ failure that could be attributed to the vaccine.
Apart from Garin, DOH officials who have been named as respondents in the complaints include Vicente Belizario Jr., Kenneth Hartigan-Go, Gerardo Bayugo, Lyndon Lee Suy, Irma Asuncion, Julius Lecciones, Joyce Ducusin, Rosalind Vianzon, Maria Lourdes Santiago and Melody Zamudio of the Food and Drug Administration, and Socorro Lupisan and Maria Rosario Capeding of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.
Executives of Sanofi Pasteur Inc. and distributor Zuellig Pharma Corporation were also included as respondents.
The corporate directors and officers of Sanofi named in the complaint are Carlito Realuyo, Sanislas Camart, Jean Louis Grunwald, Jean-Francois Vacherand, Conchita Santos, Jazel Anne Calvo, Pearl Grace Cabali, and Marie Esther De Antoni.
While, those from Zuellig are Kasigod Jamias, Michael Becker, Ricardo Romulo, Imran Babar Chugtai, Raymund Azurin, Nilo Badiola, John Stokes Davison, Marc Franck, Ashley Gerard Antonio, Ana Liza Peralta, Rosa Maria Chua, Danilo Cahoy, Manuel Concio III, Roland Goco, and Ma. Visitacion Barreiro. (PNA)
