EX-Pres.Aquino mocks VACC lawyer: "Mag-aakusa kayo tapos magpapahanap ng ebidensya sa Blue Ribbon?"

Aquino admitted meeting with Officials of french firm Sanofi Pasteur, the manufacturer of Dengvaxia,at the sidelines of the COP21 conference in Paris in 2015.

VACC asked the committee to probe Aquino, EX-DBM Secretary Florencio Abad, EX-DOH Secretary Janet Garin, and othe officials for plunder over the purchase of Dengvaxia vaccine.

Aquino said he was not aware that Sanofi had been involved in several controversiaes in the past including one in the US, when he talked with the firm's officials.
Aquino refuted the insinuation that his meeting with Sanofi Pasteur caused the rush FDA approval of Dengvaxia.

VACC said Sanofi OPasteur should be blacklisted from doing business in the Philippines.

Dr. Antonio Dans, an epidemiologist from UP blamed "bad science" for the anti dengue vaccine mess. A Sanofi Pasteur official said they are not engaged in bad science.

Thomas Triomphe of Sanofi Pasteur clrified that the follow up statement they made in relation to the health risksof recieving Dengvaxia was not meant to downplay their initial advisory

Sen. richard Gordon and Garin clashed regarding the speedy approval of Devangxia in the Philippines.

Garin said she did not negotiate with officials of Sanofi Pasteur regarding the price of Devangxia.

Three Senate committees, led by the blue ribbon panel, continued their investigation on the government's vaccination program on Thursday, with former President Benigno Aquino III and several officials of his administration present as resource persons. The investigation was caused by the controversy over the Dengvaxia vaccine that was purchased during the previous administration.

Former President Benigno Aquino III on Thursday chided lawyer Ferdinand Topacio for claiming that he and other former government officials should be held liable for plunder over the purchase of anti-dengue vaccines.

Topacio, who serves as the legal counsel of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), said Aquino and former Cabinet officials Florencio “Butch” Abad and Janette Garin, among others, should be investigated for plunder.

“Yung nagsasabi na plunder – daming sinabi. Kilala nating lahat kung sino siya,” Aquino told reporters in a press conference after attending the Senate blue ribbon committee probe on the P3.5-billion vaccination program.

“Siyempre, gusto [ko] sabihin alam mo, sinisiraan mo reputasyon namin. Pwede ka slander, hindi ka covered ng parliamentary immunity. Magbibitaw ka [ng salita], ganun na lang eh. Abogado pa naman nagsalita kanina, sabi niya,” the former President added.

Aquino said Topacio’s claims were not backed up by proof.

“Napansin ba ninyo, after sinabi ng lahat ng charges na yun, sinabi niya sa committee, imbestigahan ninyo ito. Diba, parang, kung magaakusa ako ng tao, magsasampa ako ng kaso, may pruweba ako,” he said.

“Magaakusa sila tapos pinahanap kina Senator (Richard) Gordon at miyembro ng Blue Ribbon, kayo maghain ng ebidensya namin. Hindi kaya may mali doon?” Aquino added.

The DOH has stopped the use of Dengvaxia after its manufacturer, Sanofi Pasteur, said results of a recent study showed it can actually put at risk people who have not been previously exposed to the disease.

At least least 830,000 students have been vaccinated with Dengvaxia in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Metro Manila, and Cebu.

“Kung di lumabas itong sinabi ng Sanofi, at nagdesisyon akong hayaan na lang na magdusa pa ang mga boss ko, gayong may bakuna na, palagay ko ngayon, iba ang tanong ninyo at asunto sakin: Bakit mo pinabayaan ang Pilipino?” the former President said.

Aquino said his adminisrtation decided to purchase the Dengvaxia vaccines as a response to the increase in the number of dengue cases in the past years.