Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, former Health Secretary Janette Garin and their co-respondents have been summoned by the Department of Justice (DoJ) to attend next month the preliminary investigation on the deaths of nine children who received the anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.
During a hearing at the DoJ, Assistant State Prosecutor Maria Emilia Victorio, who chairs the panel conducting the preliminary investigation, issued yesterday subpoenas to 38 respondents including Duque and Garin.
The respondents were “directed to personally appear on June 25, 2018” for the submission of their respective counter-affidavits.
The panel is conducting the preliminary investigation on the criminal complaints filed separately by the families of the nine dead children – Aejay Bautista, Anjielica Pestillos, Lenard Baldonado, Zandro Colite, Abbie Hedia, Jansyn Art Bataa, Mark Axel Ebonia, Reijazztine Justin Alimagno, and Alexander Jaime.
The families accused the respondents of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, torture resulting in the death of a person and torture of a child, obstruction of justice, and violation of Republic Act 3019 or The Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. (Jeffrey Damicog)
