Kin of Dengvaxia 'victims' hold protest before DOJ, call for justice
LOOK: Parents of alleged Dengvaxia victims protest before the DOJ following its order to withdraw charges filed against former Health Secretary Janette Garin and others @gmanews pic.twitter.com/m0IgEC75aB
— Joahna Lei Casilao (@joahnacasilao) January 31, 2025
Following the order to withdraw the charges against former Health Secretary Janette Garin and others in connection with the Dengvaxia vaccine issue, families of alleged victims held a protest rally Friday before the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The protesters held posters which asked Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla to look further into the complaint.
“Biktima po ang aming mga anak ng experimental vaccine. Kaya hustisya lamang po ang aming tanging hangad. Naway ‘wag niyo ipagkait,” one poster read.
(Our children are victims of an experimental vaccine. We only want justice. Please don’t deny it.)
The DOJ recently issued a resolution ordering the withdrawal of the charges for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide against Garin and others.
For its part, the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) has asked the DOJ to reconsider its resolution, arguing that there is prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction against Garin and her co-accused.
Meanwhile, protester Girlie Samonte called on Justice Undersecretary Jesse Andres to inhibit from the cases, saying that he was the personal lawyer of Garin.
“Bias[ed] po. Hindi po namin nakikita talaga nagpatas na paglilitis sa kaso namin. Sobrang biased po,” she said.
When sought for comment, Andres said that he withdrew as counsel of Garin in May 2022, before he joined the DOJ.
He added that he inhibited from all Dengvaxia-related cases two years ago.
“Another Undersecretary reviewed the evidence together with Secretary Remulla who issued the resolution citing the findings of WHO itself on the safety of the vaccine,” he said.
“I commiserate and feel sorry for the parents who were deceived that there was scientific basis that the vaccine was the cause of the death of their children,” he added.
Samonte, meanwhile, denied that they were being paid to stage the protest action. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News