MANILA – Former Health secretary Janette Garin accused unnamed political rivals in Iloilo of exploiting the Dengvaxia vaccine controversy to hit her family.
The Garins are the acknowledged political kingpins in Iloilo’s 1st District composed of the municipalities of Oton, Tigbauan, Guimbal, Miag-ao, San Joaquin, Igbaras, and Tubungan.
“Some political rivals in our bailiwick of Iloilo are using the Dengvaxia controversy against me,” Garin claimed in a press conference in Malate, Manila yesterday.
Before becoming Health undersecretary then secretary under the Aquino administration, Garin served as congresswoman of Iloilo’s 1st District for three terms from 2004 to 2013.
Her husband Oscar “Richard” Garin Jr. is currently the district’s congressman serving his second consecutive term.
“The (Dengvaxia) controversy is being exploited and prostituted to get back at us,” said Garin.
The Senate blue ribbon committee bared a draft report last week recommending the prosecution of Garin, former President Benigno Aquino III and former Budget secretary Florencio Abad, among others, “for all the tragedy, damage and possible deaths” that resulted from the Dengvaxia vaccine.
As Health secretary, Garin launched a dengue vaccination program in 2016 in three highly endemic regions (National Capital Region, Central Luzon and Calabarzon), with over 800,000 public school children nine years old and above receiving at least one dose of Dengvaxia.
In November 2017, the Department of Health (DOH) suspended the P3.5-billion anti-dengue immunization drive after pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur announced that its Dengvaxia could lead to a more severe form of dengue for persons vaccinated but never had the infection before.
Dengue is an acute viral infection caused by day-biting mosquitoes that live and breed in clear, stagnant waters.
Garin said Senate blue ribbon committee chairperson Sen. Richard Gordon was misled by politicians who blew the controversy out of proportion.
“The committee will eventually be able to decipher facts from fiction,” said Garin. “My appeal is that we look at the truth, we focus on the truth.”
“Ang katotohanan ay dengue was the problem. Pilit natin kinakalimutan ‘yung panahon na punong-puno ang mga ospital, ang daming namamatay – no medicine, no cure,” said Garin.
She warned of dengue outbreaks because of the Dengvaxia controversy.
The Senate blue ribbon committee draft report recommended that Garin, Aquino, Abad and others be charged with violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees./PN
