Senator
Sherwin Gatchalian said he signed the draft Senate committee report regarding
the Dengvaxia controversy but with reservations.
The senator
is not convinced that former President Benigno Aquino III is criminally liable
for the P3.5-billion anti-dengue vaccination program.
The Senate
Blue Ribbon Committee draft report chaired by Senator Richard Gordon, said that
the former president , with cabinet secretaries Butch Abad and Janet Garin
should be charged over the Dengvaxia mess.
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| Senator Sherwin Gatchalian and former President Benigno Aquino III (photo credit to owner) |
Gordon in
the report said that Aquino along with other government officials implemented
the anti-dengue mass vaccination with ‘undue haste’ and should be prosecuted
for graft and violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public
Officials and Employees.
“Si Garin,
being a doctor, he relied on the advice of the former Secretary pagdating sa
pag-administer dito ng (when it came to the administration of) Dengvaxia. Wala
rin akong nakitang report na sinadya ni PNoy na i-administer ito (I also did
not see any report that he intentionally administered it) or showed hidden
motives or bad faith. So I would assume that he administered Dengvaxia because
of the advice of his Secretary for Health,” he said.
Gatchalian
said while the former President may not be held liable , still he should be
held liable for the Dengvaxia mess.
"Hindi
ako kumbinsido na criminally liable siya. (I am not convinced that he is criminally
liable.) He might be accountable to the whole program because at the end, he is
the president, and the president should be accountable to all actions of the
government. However, criminally liable, hindi ako sang-ayon doon, dahil nga at
the end, si Secretary Garin ang nagrekomenda (I don’t agree with that because
in the end, Secretary Garin made the recommendation)," he said.
The senator said
Aquino’s legal liability should be studied carefully but he is accountable,
being the head of the government.
“But
accountability doesn't mean that you are also criminally liable, so pag-aaralan
natin ang participation niya pagdating dito (let us study his participation
here),” he added.
Investigations,
in fact, pointed to Garin as the “prime mover” of the botched program because
it was she who made the recommendation, Gatchalian said.
“Siya talaga ang
gumawa ng paraan para magkaroon ng budget dahil wala naman talagang budget ito
eh -- from zero budget nagkaroon ng PHP3.5 billion budget -- at siya rin ang
gumawa ng paraan para malagay ito sa Philippines’ Children Center. (It was she
who found the budget -- from zero to PHP3.5 billion. She also found a way to
put it at the Philippines’ Children Center.) So she is really the prime mover
of this Dengvaxia fiasco,” he said.
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