By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
QUEZON CITY – – The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) and a group of parents of victims of Dengvaxia on Friday (Dec. 15) held a press conference in connection with the cases of reckless imprudence resulting to multiple homicide and physical injuries.
During the press conference, the VACC and the Samahan ng mga Magulang Anak at Biktima ng Dengvaxia said that they were hurt with the report that reached them about the Dengvaxia cases.
A motion to quash was filled by Rep. Janet Garin, which for them sought to dismissed all the Dengvaxia cases.
They appealed to the heart and conscience of Garin, who is also a mother herself.
As the president of the group, she tearfully said that it was very disheartening for them to learn about the motion filed by Garin.
They also expressed their dismay on the order of a Quezon City Regional Trial Court for the consolidation of 35 cases into one case of reckless imprudence resulting to multiple homicide and physical injuries.
She could not control her tears in saying that it would take about more than five years for the consideration of the cases.
Another mother of a victim slammed the hearing for each of eight other Dengvaxia cases and yet there’s a court order for the consolidation of 35 cases into one case as ordered by the Quezon City RTC.
She noted that their children victims had different dates of Dengvaxia inoculation, death, and autopsy, and different places where the victims were vaccinated with Dengvaxia.
She slammed that it seems that the order of the Supreme Court was overruled by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, which for them should not be the situation.
They surmised that the respondents seemed to have gained the upper ground such that despite the guidelines of the SC on the Dengvaxia cases, the 35 cases were ordered consolidated into just one case, which for them was disheartening and unjust.
They urged the concerned judge to show mercy on their children.
The justice for their children who died due to Dengvaxia and those who are still living, which for them was very evasive for the longest time.
They asked the handling judge to have a heart of a parent for the child victims of Dengvaxia.
They expressed their willingness to be detained just to be able to fight for justice for their children victims of Dengvaxia even to the point of being cited in contempt in the process by the court.
A father of another victim of Dengvaxia challenged Garin on her moves to fix the Dengvaxia cases such as the consolidation of the 35 Dengvaxia cases into just a single case.
Another father of a Dengvaxia victim cited their disclosure on the struggles and hardship caused by Dengvaxia vaccines.
Another father expounded that his child who died of Dengvaxia and whose internal organs were taken away and they were given a hard time to obtain those internal organs.
As a parent, he asked the judge not to order the consolation of the 35 Dengvaxia into one case and be fair as a Christmas gift for them.
They said that they were misinformed by the Department of Health that the Dengvaxia vaccine would protect their children from acquiring Dengue but it turned out later that Dengvaxia vaccine should be inoculated to children who had been previously infected with Dengue.
Another crying mother of a Dengvaxia vaccine victim narrated that the supposed vaccine against Dengue was the one which caused the death of her child.
They pointed out that QC RTC Acting Presiding Judge Maria Luisa Lesle G. Gonzales-Betic has overruled the SC order on One Dengvaxia Court for the expedient resolution of the Dengvaxia cases.
The parents stressed that they are not dissuaded by the order of Judge Betic but they have become even more persistent in seeking justice for their children who died due to Dengvaxia vaccine and those who are still suffering from the effects of the vaccine.
The VACC had been assisting the victims of Dengvaxia since 2016 who even witnessed the autopsy of victims whose internal organs melted.
The VACC cited the sufferings of the victims whose bones melted and their brains were extracted due to severe bleeding, lungs were bloated and their kidneys were damaged.
The group expressed the fears that the 168 Dengvaxia cases might be consolidated into one case.
They are now set to file a motion for reconsideration before the QC RTC pending their consultation with the panel of prosecutors.
They are also mulling to file a petition for the inhibition of Judge Betic if needed be.
