The Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) remains firms in its claims Health Secretary Francisco Duque III has been bribing the families of Dengvaxia victims so they won’t sue him.

The PAO has already written to Presidential Spokeperson Salvador Panelo after he made a statement that it should substantiate its claims.

“It was the parents who experienced personally the act of DOH affiliates of Sec. Francisco T. Duque III who are offering the amount of P50,000.00 to ensure that the case will just be dropped,” PAO told Panelo in the letter dated January 30.

“To substantiate the matters, we [are] respectfully transmitting to your end, for your information and guidance, the following attached documents,” it said.

The attached documents include copies of the parent’s sworn statements of the parents.

The PAO said the families recounted being offered P50,000 financial assistance from the Office of the President “in exchange for giving to the DOH all originals of the appropriate documentary requirements which prove that their children has been vaccinated with Dengvaxia vaccine, such as Immunization Record (Dengvaxia Card) and Death Certificate in their possession.”

However, the PAO said the parents did not accept the offer “because they wanted to file charges against those responsible for having their children indiscriminately vaccinated with Dengvaxia vaccine.”