(Eagle News) — Former President Benigno Aquino III and several others are facing a complaint for violation of the Omnibus Election Code in connection with the Dengvaxia mess.
Dr. Francis Cruz and the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption filed the complaint against Aquino, former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, former Health Secretary Janette Garin and 16 others before the Commission on Elections on Friday.
According to the complainants, Aquino and the others violated Section 261 (v) of B.P. Blg. 881 when they released P3.5 billion in public funds for the procurement of the Dengvaxia vaccine 45 days before the 2016 national elections.
“The said humongous public funds were used for any election campaign or for any partisan political activity, as no less than Aquino III, the leader of the Liberal Party, together with some DOH officials, took part during the launching of the Dengue Immunization Program of the DOH in order to further the candidacies of his partymates,” the complainants said.
The complainants also noted Sanofi Pasteur’s pronouncement that the vaccine could cause “severe cases” in those who have not had dengue.
The VACC and Cruz emphasized that 830,000 children and members of the Philippine National Police were administered the vaccine.
“In these lights (sic), it behooves the (Comelec) Law Department to evaluate this joint complaint-affidavit and to file the formal charges against the respondents as well as to order the conduct of preliminary investigation,” the complainants said.
On Friday, the DOH concluded Dengvaxia was “not ready” for use in mass immunization programs based on results of a study done by an independent panel of experts.
