At the Senate investigation on the PHP 3.5 Billion Sanofi Dengue Vaccine SCAM, it was established that the experimental vaccine had not yet completed the Phase 4 stage (controlled launch or scaled down implementation) usually in the ten to twenty thousand beneficiary level and needing one to two years to complete so as to monitor possible ADVERSE EFFECTS or REACTIONS. Instead the roll out was made to more than 700,000 grade four students (out of a planned one million ten year olds).

Former Secretary of Health Ubial, who stopped the program stated that it is bad practice to do a massive public mobilization and vaccination using a new product in an election year. Health experts were unanimous that there was a RUSH to PURCHASE, specifically prodded by then President Aquino and then Health Secretary Garin. P-Noy met with Sanofi officials (for the second time) in December 2015 and it was also in the same month that the Food and Drug Administration (under the Department of Health) approved Sanofi’s Dengvaxia. President Aquino issued a memorandum order to the DBM to use personnel savings (from the Philippine budget) to fund the vaccine purchase.  By the end of the month the Department of Budget Management (DBM under then Secretary Abad) had issued a S.A.R.O. (special allotment release order).

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chair Senator Richard Gordon will look into the possible VIOLATION by President Aquino in the use of a S.A.R.O. to secure funding when a supplemental budget (though the House of Representatives and the Senate) route should have been the way to go.

Senator Gordon also cited a number of resolved cases where Sanofi officials were found guilty of BRIBERY in Germany and fined FORTY MILLION U. S. dollars. In the United States, Sanofi officials were fined ONE HUNDRED NINE MILLION U.S. dollars also for BRIBERY.

The current stage of the Senate investigation is focused on the SAFETY issues of the Sanofi Dengue vaccine. The next stage would tackle the financial aspects of the deal, specifically the bidding process (when the Formulary had not yet issued a certification), the HIGH COST of the product, the use of a single supplier, conflict of interest (in the FDA, FEC and the DOH where members used to work  for international pharmaceutical firms) plus the issue on whether baseline serological tests should have been done prior to administering the vaccine (which was scrapped due to high costs). Next Committee meeting will look into the LEGAL ASPECTS of ACCOUNTABILITY (on whether the vaccination program was pushed through for propaganda purposes (for the 2016 national elections) and/or to generate FINANCIAL RESOURCES for election purposes or personal gain. Ex President Aquino was SPECIFICALLY named.

Senator Gordon mentioned that a witness branded the vaccination program as a BETRAYAL of the Filipino people, with kids being used as GUINEA PIGS or LABORATORY RATS.