PAO chief Dr. Persida Rueda Acosta. INQUIRER file photo / LYN RILLON
Public Attorney鈥檚 Office (PAO) chief Persida Acosta claimed that critics of their investigation on alleged Dengvaxia-related deaths have ties with the scrapped vaccination program.
In a presentation entitled 鈥淎lamat ng Dengvaxia,鈥� which Acosta showed on a Friday press conference, she said that both Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque and former Secretary Esperanza Cabral had a hand in the vaccination program.
鈥淪i (former) Secretary Cabral po na nagsabing tumigil kami sa autopsy, siya po pala ay consultant din ni Secretary Garin,鈥� Acosta said.
She also said Cabral is linked with Zuellig Pharma, the official distributor of Dengvaxia vaccines in the Philippines.
鈥淎ng malungkot, sa Zuellig Pharma, na distributor ng Denvaxia na ginawa ng Sanofi, (member ng) Board of Trustees pala si Secretary Cabral,鈥� Acosta added.
Acosta said that Duque, which she considers a friend, is involved in a study instrumental to the implementation of the national dengue immunization program.
She noted a study entitled 鈥淩esearch Project on the Burden of Disease of Dengue鈥� dated October 6, 2015, by Research Institute for Tropical Medicine-Epidemiology Center, University of the Philippines, and certain doctors from San Lazaro Hospital was signed by Duque.
鈥淎ng pumirma po ng order na ito ay ang 鈥榶ong dating Secretary of Health na ngayo鈥檡 nakaupo ulit, si Secretary Duque,鈥� she said.
The PAO chief also reiterated that after Duque鈥檚 term with the Civil Service Commission, he served as consultant to former Health Secretary Janette Garin.
Duque has previously denied Acosta鈥檚 accusations. /jpv
READ: Duque questions PAO鈥檚 motives in filing Dengvaxia rap