(Eagle News) — Former Health Secretary Janette Garin on Wednesday, April 11, described the draft report of the Senate blue ribbon committee recommending the filing of charges against her and several others over the Dengvaxia mess as “full of inaccuracies and half truths.”
“I believe that the narrative…reflects only the long perceived pre-judgment of the issue by Senator Gordon,” Garin said in a statement.
“The presentation is one-sided and replete with innuendos of expedited government action,” she said.
“Moreover, the ‘report’ is just the personal opinion of Senator Gordon, which has not been vetted by the Senate. The report is one-sided because he has prejudged the case from the very beginning based on the inputs of vested interest parties who want to control the DOH (Department of Health),” she added.
According to Garin, “timely and responsive government action is not a violation of the law.”
She said former Health Secretary Enrique Ona Jr. had declared that there was a dengue epidemic.
Her successor, Paulyn Ubial, she said, also continued and expanded the program.
“It is manifest that the anti-dengue program was important because Secretary designate Ubial continued and even expanded it!” Garin said.
“My conscience is clear and I am ready to answer any charge that will be filed in the proper forum,” she added.
The draft report also recommended the filing of charges against former President Benigno Aquino III, former Budget Secretary Butch Abad, and officials from the Philippine Children’s Medical Center, the DOH, and Sanofi Pasteur.