Dengvaxia cases to be heard in a single court per Supreme Court notice

Public Attorney’s Office hails Supreme Court decision to establish a family court for Dengvaxia cases

MANILA – The Public Attorney’s Office expressed its gratitude to the latest resolution dated August 27,2020 which has ruled to transfer pending cases to a Family Court to be determined through a raffle at the Quezon City Hall of Justice anytime soon.

Chief Public Attorney Persida V. Rueda-Acosta said the mandate will facilitate the disposition of cases filed against certain individuals,

“There are 158 deaths while two survived and once the experts have testified, as in the Sulpicio Lines case, it will be applicable to all cases. We salute Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta for his favorable consideration of the victims’ plight,” Atty. Acosta said in an exclusive interview.

She said Chief Justice Peralta said if the issues are the same with the same respondents, these cases should be transferred and consolidated and assigned to a court. Included in the notice are directives to the Branch Clerks of Court to forward the records of cases they have in their Courts to the Clerk of Court of the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City within three days upon receipt of the same order.

It also directed the Executive Judge of the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City to conduct a raffle of the cases to a single branch of the Family Court for further proceedings within three days from the receipt of court records.

Asked how the complainants would attend the hearings, Atty. Acosta said people from all walks of life, from lawmakers to local government officials and even show business personalities have been supportive of the nearest of kin of the Dengvaxia vaccine fatalities.

Regarding the operations of the PAO Forensic Laboratory, Atty. Acosta said they have been receiving support from various sectors for it to continue its mandate.

“From 2004, the Forensic Laboratory has handled a lot of cases and nobody wanted it closed until they began conducting autopsies on Dengvaxia vaccine victims when certain sectors wanted us to stop operations,” Atty. Acosta added.

She expressed hope those responsible for the Dengvaxia vaccine in the country be held accountable. (Melo M. Acuña)

Chief Public Attorney Persida V. Rueda Acosta holding a copy of the Supreme Court Notice mandating the transfer of all pending Dengvaxia cases to a single Family Court in Quezon City. (Melo M. Acuna)