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[av_heading heading=’PNoy, Garin, Abad charged over Dengvaxia fund release ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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February 3, 2018
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MANILA – A former Department of Health (DOH) consultant and an anti-corruption group charged former government officials led by former President Benigno Aquino III with violating the Omnibus Election Code for disbursing government funds at the height of the 2016 election campaign.
According to Dr. Francis Cruz and the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), the P3.5-billion dengue vaccine program was timed with the campaign period.
They filed the complaint [for violation of Section 261 (o) and (v) of Batas Pambansa 881 or the Omnibus Election Code] before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Legal Department yesterday.
Aside from Aquino, also named as respondents yesterday were former Budget secretary Florencio Abad and former Health secretary Janette Garin among other DOH officials.
Under the Election Code, it is prohibited to release and use government funds within 45 days before a regular election or 30 days before a special election.
Violation of it will result in imprisonment of one to six years, disqualification to hold public office, and deprivation of the right to vote.
“Aquino, Abad and Garin had caused the releases, disbursements or expenditures of over P3.5 billion in public funds contrary to…the Omnibus Election Code,” the complaint stated.
In the case of other DOH officials, according to the complainants, they should be held liable “for being involved, directly or indirectly, in the first round of implementation of the Dengue Immunization Program on April 4, 2016 or during the election ban.”
The complainants also claimed public funds were used for the partisan political activity of Aquino’s Liberal Party (LP) to further the candidacies of his partymates or otherwise influence or entice the voters to throw their support or vote for the candidates.
Garin, in a statement, welcomed the complaint. She said she is ready to prove that the Dengvaxia program was not used to boost the candidacies of LP bets.
“The immunization program was never used for politics. We in DOH worked and delivered, commensurate to what is expected of any government employee or official,” said Garin./PN
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