ILOILO First District Representative Janette Garin said she is not afraid to face the new case filed against her and nine other public health officials for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide over the deaths blamed on anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.
Former Department of Health (DOH) and Iloilo First District Representative Janette Loreto-Garin. (Photo by Leo Solinap)
“I have yet to receive the 78-page resolution but this will be the nth case that has been filed against me and the other public health servants who sought to bring a life-saving vaccine in the country,” Garin said.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday, February 21, indicted Garin and nine other DOH officials, but Garin said she is not afraid of the case. “Haharapin ko ito ng buong tapang at walang takot dahil alam natin ang katotohanan,” the former Department of Health (DOH) secretary said.
Earlier, Justice Assistant Secretary Neal Bainto said the panel of prosecutors found probable cause to indict Garin and other officials on the second batch of complaints related to Dengvaxia. “Sa unang batch pa lang out of seven criminal cases for reckless imprudence filed against us, under the direction of PAO Chief Persida Acosta, six have already been dismissed and one remains pending. The dismissals entail the cases’ lack of basis and substance,” Garin said. Garin added that science has proven over and over again that no deaths have been linked to the Dengvaxia vaccine. She said almost the whole world is using it now and no case like ours has surfaced. “Hustisya bang matatawag na hayaan nating mamatay ang ating mga kababayan sa mga sakit na may gamot/bakuna naman? Kung ganunman, sino ang sisingilin natin sa mga namatay sa Dengue nang tanggalin ang bakuna sa bansa? Sino ang sisingilin natin sa mga namatay dahil sa tigdas at mga nagkaroon ng polio dahil natakot sa bakuna?” Garin said. For Garin, this situation, true justice should listen to science and not to politics. “Sa dami ng problema at isyu sa bansa pilit pa rin binubuhay ang mga kasong walang basehan para manggipit lang at para pagtakpan ang mga mas importanteng usapin. Hindi dapat bahiran ng pulitika ang hustisya at pampublikong kalusugan,” Garin said. (SunStar Philippines)