The Quezon City Regional Trial Court has ordered the arrest of three France-based executives of Sanofi Pasteur Inc. for two counts of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide in connection with the Dengvaxia vaccination case.
“Considering that accused Stanlas Camart, Jean Louise Grunwald and Jean Francois Vacherand DID NOT appear on the scheduled hearing for their arraignment, Warrants for their Arrest had been issued by the court, copy furnished the National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police and the Embassy of France,” Branch 107 Judge Jose Bautista Jr.’s order read.
The court has set the pre-trial conference and the arraignment of the other accused on March 3 at 2 p.m.
“Yes, we plan to coordinate with the French Embassy,” Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Acosta told reporters.
Sanofi Pasteur, the manufacturer of the Dengvaxia vaccine, maintained its vaccine was “safe and effective,” saying “no criminal charges had been filed against their officials and that the litigation was still in its preliminary stages.”
Bautista, in a Dec. 22, 2020 resolution, denied the motion to quash the information (cases) filed against ex-Department of Health secretary Janette Garin as well as those of Sanofi officers Carlito Realuyo and Conchita Santos.
He deferred the arraignment of Garin last Jan. 27 when she filed a motion for reconsideration of the Dec. 22, 2020 resolution.
Acosta welcomed Bautista’s seven-page resolution, saying: “We already have 161 school children whose deaths were linked to the Dengvaxia vaccines, while two survivors are still fighting for their lives up to now.”
At a media briefing, she, however, clarified PAO was not anti-vaccine, and would never encroach on the government’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program.