MANILA, Philippines — Families who say their children died because of the Dengvaxia vaccine filed criminal complaints against a former official of the Philippine Children’s Medical Center on Monday.
The families, through the Public Attorney’s Office, moved to implead doctors Raymundo Lo and Sonia Gonzales in their reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and anti-torture case against former Health Secretary Janette Garin and other officials.
Lo was deputy executive director of the PCMC from 2006 to 2016.
“The fact is, our children died because of this new and experimental vaccine and [Lo and Gonzales] are two of the known personalities who facilitated the purchase of Dengvaxia vaccine even before the Food and Drug Administration has issued a Certificate of Product Registration,” the complainants claimed in their motion filed on Monday.
The complainants recalled that, during the legislative hearing on Dengvaxia issue, it was learned that Gonzales, on behalf of Lo, signed the purchase request for the dengue vaccine.
“From the foregoing actuations, the complicity of Dr. Lo and Dr. Gonzales to the purchase of Dengvaxia vaccine with undue haste despite of the fact that it is still on its trial stage is manifest making them liable as the other respondents in this case,” the motion read.
Garin asked the panel of state prosecutors to accept the affidavit of Lo, who she said is “an expert pathologist specializing in Anatomic and Clincal Pathology.”
But the panel of prosecutors led by Maria Emilia Victoria junked Garin’s pleading for being filed too late.
The panel said motion filed was “not well-taken” because according to the Rules on Criminal Court, the respondent Garin should have submitted her counter-affidavit along with the affidavits of her witnesses and supporting documents.
State prosecutors wrapped up its preliminary investigation into the first batch of criminal complaints against Dengvaxia last Tuesday, October 30. — Kristine Joy Patag