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| Photo file from ABS CBN |
Ex budget secretary Florenco Abad might be charged over his involvement
in adjusting government savings to buy dengue vaccines without the approval of
the Congress.
Abad may possibly be charged of technical malversation for
realigning P3.5 billion funds.
On Saturday, Senator
Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito made a statement when asked about the liability of officials
during Aquino administration in the dengue vaccine controversies.
He also pointed out that then President Benigno “Noynoy”
Aquino III could be held liable for the current mess concerning principle of
command responsibility.
“But there is apparently a doctrine which says that if you
were the last sign, as a ministerial act, you can be acquitted.” Ejercito said.
During the resumption of Senate hearing on vaccine scandal,
Abad admitted that the funds used to purchase Dengvaxia vaccine in December 2015
were from government savings instead of 2015 General Appropriations Act.
Meanwhile, Aquino answered that he had to approve the
release of the budget without asking the Congress to determine funding sources because
they had no more time to do so.
Together with Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Senator Richard
Gordon, Ejercito is also conducting the probe. Both of them also agreed that releasing
of P3.5 billion for the vaccine was done “in haste”.
“The Supreme Court said that their action to re-align
savings without congressional approval was unconstitutional,” Ejercito also
said.
Ejercito pointed out that he does not believe the excuse of
Abad saying it was a usual practice.
“I don’t buy that excuse from Secretary Abad that this is
usual practice and it is the prerogative of the president to realign savings at
the end of the year,” he said, and reiterated that the amount was huge and
there was no emergency that time to immediately purchase the vaccine.
“The procurement of Dengvaxia was done with unprecedented
speed,” Ejercito added.
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