QUEZON CITY — The Sandiganbayan Special Second Division has cleared House Deputy Speaker and Iloilo Representative Janette Garin of graft and technical malversation charges regarding the multi-billion-peso procurement of dengue vaccines in 2015.
The anti-graft court acquitted Garin, who served as Department of Health (DOH) secretary during the administration of the late former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, alongside four former health officials on Tuesday, October 13.
Her co-accused—former Undersecretaries Gerardo Bayugo and Kenneth Hartigan-Go, OIC Director Joyce Ducusin, and former Philippine Children’s Medical Center Executive Director Julius Lecciones—were likewise cleared of their respective charges.
Following the ruling, the court ordered the cancellation and release of their cash bonds, alongside the lifting of hold departure orders issued against them.
Speaking to reporters after the decision, Garin expressed gratitude and viewed the verdict as a triumph for medical professionals.
“So again, natutuwa kami, this is a win, not for me, but for our scientists and public health experts. Sana po hindi na maulit na napupulitika ang kalusugan dahil nagiging sakripisyo ito. Marami ang outbreaks na nangyari,” she said.
She noted that vaccine hesitancy fueled by the controversy had previously led to preventable deaths, asserting that the decision validates doctors and researchers dedicated to public immunization.
“Well, I have not been campaigning for dengue vaccine alone. We have been advocating for all vaccines,” she added.
The case stemmed from a 2023 Ombudsman filing accusing Garin and other health officials of illegally diverting ₱3.55 billion from the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund to purchase the vaccines.
While the dengue immunization program was halted due to the controversy, Garin clarified that the allocated funds remained intact within the DOH budget over the years.
“‘Yung ₱3.55 billion na nakalaan para sa dengue immunization program ay nagpatuloy sa lahat ng taon up to this current year. Pero hindi naman siya ginamit sa dengue vaccine kasi nga naka-hold,” she explained.