Iloilo 1st District Representative and former Dept. of Health Secretary Janette Garin has exposed that she has an ax to grind with ABS-CBN
During the Monday, July 6, hearing on the ABS-CBN franchise, Garin blasted what according to her was public health misinformation proliferated by ABS-CBN with regards to the Dengvaxia controversy.
“Mas masahol pa sa COVID- 19 ang public health misinformation,” said Garin in an emotionally-charged opening statement.
Garin questioned ABS-CBN’s persistent reports on Dengvaxia-related deaths using the same resource person PAO’s “forensic expert,” Dr. Erwin Erfe, who she said is a fake expert and whose credentials had been repeatedly questioned in the past.
“If you cannot perceive the real experts in the country, how can you have responsible journalism? How can you convey the real public health information? How can you deny that you have unknowingly and unconsciously become a part of that virus that’s creeping on our public health?” she said.
Garin then blamed ABS-CBN for the decline of Filipino’s confidence in the vaccination program of the government saying their reports caused fear among mothers and parents.
“Ano po ang nangyari? Natakot lahat ng nanay; bumalik ang polio, nagkaroon tayo ng outbreak ng measles, nagkaroon tayo ng outbreak ng Japanese encephalitis, dengue [fever]… name it, you have it.
“Now it pains me to hear your [claiming] that you have been helping the Filipino people, [claiming] that you have been helping our country.Tulong po ba yung ibinalik niyo yung lahat ng mga infectious diseases na natanggal na ng atin bansa.” she said
Aside from the vaccine scare that according to her was caused by ABS-CBN reports, Garin also blamed ABS-CBN for the hurt it caused her father. Garin narrated that her father was deeply hurt when he watched on TV Patrol a report saying the ex-DOH Sec. has apologized to the parents of Dengvaxia vaccinated children.
Later on, Garin even passionately challenged ABS-CBN that she will resign from her as Congresswoman of Iloilo if they can prove that she did apologize.
“If you can prove in that interview that I did apologize for the Dengvaxia Program, I will immediately resign from Congress.”
However, netizens were quick to unearth the TV Patrol news item wherein Garin apologized to the parents of Dengvaxia vaccinated children.
https://twitter.com/JamieAlonzo/status/1280074479545155586
In the video, it was clear that Garin indeed apologized to the parents belying her claim that she never apologized.
Obviously caught off guard by the video that immediately circulated on social media, Garin claimed that the video was spliced and maintained that she never did an interview with TV Patrol.
“While it is true that I said that if you can prove that I really said that, that I was interviewed for the TV Patrol segment I will resign, I stand by my word hindi po ako nanloloko.
“If you look at the news obvious na obvious kasi na inisplice. That interview in TV patrol was never conducted. Talaga pong haka-haka yan.” Garin backpedaled.
Garin, however, didn’t realize that ABS-CBN news is an Integrated News Organization and that her DZMM interview was the one used as a news item on TV Patrol.
Meanwhile, in driving her main point about the Dengvaxia coverage, she asked ABS-CBN President and CEO Carlo Katigbak if they deliberately used the Dengvaxia controversy to slight the previous administration to gain President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval of their franchise.
“Let me just ask this direct question: Ginamit niyo ba ang Dengvaxia para mapalapit, at akala niyo ay mapapalapit kayo kay Pangulong Duterte, by hitting the previous administration (Did you use the Dengvaxia issue to gain closeness to President Duterte, because you thought hitting the previous administration would do that for you)?” Garin asked.
“Hindi po (No),” Carlo Katigbak replied.
The Dengvaxia mess has been used and abused by the die-hard Duterte supporters to undermine the previous administration of Noynoy Aquino.
However, the same DDS are also the one using and abusing any comments critical or against ABS-CBN. Will Garin’s statement sit well with DDS now?
