MANILA - (2ND UPDATE) Former President Benigno Aquino III and his former aides "should be held criminally liable" over the scrapped P3.5 billion dengue vaccination program, according to a Senate panel report bared Wednesday by Senator Richard Gordon.

Some 830,000 schoolchildren were vaccinated under the program before drug maker Sanofi Pasteu admitted late last year that the anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia may cause severe dengue when administered to patients who have not contracted the mosquito-borne disease.

The government has since suspended its dengue vaccination program, but several parents claimed that their children died due to complications from the vaccine.

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The Senate Blue Ribbon committee in its report found that the Dengvaxia program was implemented with "undue haste" by Aquino, former health secretary Janette Garin, and former budget secretary Florencio Abad.

"Aquino, Garin, Abad and other officials are primary conspirators and must be held criminally liable . . . and must be prosecuted for all the tragedy, damage and possible deaths resulting from the Dengvaxia mass vaccination program," Gordon said in a press conference.

The Senate Blue Ribbon committee released its report after hearings to probe who are liable for the alleged irregular procurement of the dengue vaccine. It will be circulated to committee members for signing.

AQUINO 'SINS'

Gordon said Aquino "enfeebled" the health department by appointing Garin, whom he described as a former congresswoman from a political family in the Visayas with "limited experience in public health."

Aquino, the senator said, also met with Sanofi officials in separate instances in Beijing and Paris before the approval of the Dengvaxia vaccination drive.

In both meetings, "a signal was projected to the rank and file that Sanofi Pasteur was favored by the President," Gordon said.

• An evening with Dengvaxia makers in Paris

Gordon also noted that Aquino admitted in a Senate inquiry that he was not aware of Sanofi's supposed record of bribery, false claims, and unethical practices in other countries.

• Gordon grills Aquino over Sanofi's record of bribery, false claim

The senator also accused Aquino of snubbing local and foreign experts who warned that the vaccine may have an ill effect.

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"All these acts constitute malfeasance (mali-maling paggamit ng kanilang tungkulin), at saka non-feasance (hindi mo ginawa lahat ng magagawa mo), all in the name of politics," he said.

"He (Aquino) violated ethics, did no homework and did not exercise the ordinary diligence of a good father of a family and the nation. The greatest sin and transgression of President Aquino was to put the lives of Filipino children . . . in grave peril. He simply did not care. Manhid siya at walang malasakit," Gordon added.

Gordon recommended that Aquino be charged for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

Garin, Abad and Dr. Julius Lecciones of the Philippine Children’s Medical Center were recommended to be charged with the same violations.

Aquino and his aides have maintained that the Dengvaxia program was rolled out with prudence.

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In a statement, Garin criticized the committee report, calling it a "personal opinion" only of Gordon, and defended the vaccination program saying "timely and responsive government action is not a violation of the law."

"The report is one-sided because he (Gordon) has prejudged the case from the very beginning based on the inputs of vested interest parties who want to control the DOH," she said Wednesday.

"My conscience is clear and I am ready to answer any charge that will be filed in the proper forum," she added.

The Public Attorney's Office (PAO) earlier said it will file a new criminal complaint against the former President after the Senate panel's report is released.

Two criminal complaints and a case of election law violation have been filed so far against Aquino and his aides.

• TIMELINE: The Philippines' dengue vaccine program