Aguirre: No order to stop PAO from conducting autopsies

MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Monday gave green light on autopsy proceedings conducted by the Public Attorney's Office despite strong objection by group of doctors and experts.

A group of doctors and medical authorities have asked the PAO—state legal counsels—to stop performing autopsies on children who allegedly passed away after receiving the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine.

But Aguirre, on Monday, said: "I have no order to stop the autopsies."

The justice chief, however, said that he would the group of former Health secretary Cabral's "written position" on why the autopsies should be stopped. 

Cabral and vaccine expert Lulu Bravo earlier reiterated that the DOJ should direct the PAO to stop performing autopsies since “it makes no sense for any more families to be subjected to the torture of having a loved one exhumed and cut up only to find out that no useful information was derived from the cruel act.”

The group added that the PAO should "leave the matter of determining the cause of death to competent forensic pathologists.”

READ: Medical experts: Stop Dengvaxia autopsies

The Department of Health has designated the UP-PGH team to conduct a thorough study on the alleged deaths caused by Dengvaxia.

The Malacañang backed and supported the UP-PGH report, calling it as "good news " for parents whose children were given the vaccine.

READ: Only 3 of 14 Dengvaxia-linked deaths due to dengue, says UP-PGH panel

PAO, VACC call on Duterte to declare State of National Emergency

Also on Monday, PAO and members of the Vounteers against Crime and Corruption—known supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte—continue to call for stronger government condemnation of the Dengavaxia vaccine on Monday.

In a letter dated Jan. 15, VACC Chair and Presidential Anti-Corruption Chair Dante Jimenez asked Duterte to declare a State of National Emergency  "in relation to the vaccination of more than 833,000 children and other persons with the Dengvaxia vaccine last April 2016 and onwards."

Jimenez said that have been "no less than 7 deaths exhumed and autopsied by the PAO" while the Department of Health "recorded" 14 deaths due to the vaccine.

The groups also accused "certain doctors, and public and private hospitals" of cover-up on the deaths of children who have received the vaccine.

They asked to conduct a  takeover on certain operations of private hospitals in Region 3, 4-A, National Capital Region and Region 7 in order to undertake measures "to prevent deliberate misdeclaration."

The House of Representatives continue to hold a legislative inquiry into the Dengvaxia vaccine case.