Press Release
August 23, 2019

GORDON SAYS GOV'T MUST OWN UP TO ITS RESPONSIBILITY

Senator Richard J. Gordon said the government must own up to its responsibility to the fact that they, albeit the previous administration, pushed Dengvaxia, an untested and largely experimental drug that cannot be used for mass immunization, and caused a medical nightmare.

He made the call as the country battles with a dengue epidemic, with 188,562 cases recorded from January 1 to August 3 and 807 deaths, which is making the parents of about 800,000 vaccinees more anxious than ever.

Gordon pointed out that Article II Section 13 of the Constitution mandates the state to protect and promote the right to health of the people and instil health consciousness among them.

"The government must be held accountable. In fact, the permit was only for prescription under doctors' supervision but the Department of Health, at that time under Janette Garin, forced the issue and made it mass immunization. The government should own up to its responsibility. You cannot leave the damage done to people who did not ask for it but were imposed on by the government to take mass immunization, especially after Sanofi, although belatedly, and other experts before Sanofi said that they could be in danger of death or violent dengue. Ang gobyerno ang nagtulak na magpaturok sila ng bakuna na hindi pala magaling at pumalpak," he said.

Gordon pointed out that it is the government's duty to allay the parents' fears when they feel that they are in peril even if it was the past administration which pushed the vaccine, which, at that time, had yet to finish all the phases of clinical testing.

"They were thrown into a situation of doubt that may last their life time. Habang buhay silang matatakot para sa kanilang mga anak at hindi sila nasabihan na ganito ang mangyayari. Tuwing lalagnatin ang mga anak nila, dapat itakbo kaagad sa ospital para di mapasama. At sinasabi nga nila ngayon na medyo napapabayaan nila samantalang dapat silang alagaan ng gobyerno," the senator, who chairs the Blue Ribbon Committee, pointed out.

"If we follow the constitutional mandate for us to protect our people, we will be protecting those na tinamaan dahil doon sa pagkakamali ng nakaraang gobyerno at dapat po magkaroon talaga finally ng closure 'yung mga tao. We must look out for the people who introduced this, who forced this to our country and we must have the closure that is necessary. It seems that we are afraid to make strong decisions in this country. And that is the reason why I posed it as 'Acta non verba.' Action, not words!" he stressed

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