By Ma. Teresa Montemayor
MANILA – A group of doctors on Monday urged the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to investigate Dr. Anthony Leachon over alleged ethics violations involving his public medical claims and statements against fellow professionals.
At a press conference in Manila, the group questioned the scientific basis of Leachon’s statements on the dengue vaccine controversy, his interpretation of alleged vaccine-related conditions, and accusations of unethical conduct against colleagues.
“Physicians have a responsibility to ensure that medical information shared with the public is accurate, evidence-based and presented in its proper scientific context,” former Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go said.
“As doctors in a position of scientific and medical authority, we have a duty to be careful in voicing personal opinions, especially if they may conflict with established scientific facts.”
Former Research Institute for Tropical Medicine director Dr. Socorro Lupisan also stressed professional accountability.
“Professional credentials carry a corresponding responsibility, particularly when statements are about public health or the reputation and conduct of fellow medical practitioners,” she said.
The call follows separate disciplinary proceedings before the Philippine College of Physicians, which announced a six-month suspension of Leachon’s membership in June over public statements against fellow medical professionals.
Leachon disputed the action and sought relief in court.
The group alleged that his comments on the 2017 Dengvaxia controversy eroded public trust in the DOH and vaccines, saying other countries did not report deaths attributed to Dengvaxia at the time.
“Any form of irresponsible statements from medical professionals gravely affects public trust towards health authorities and the medical profession at large,” former Food and Drug Administration director general Maria Lourdes Santiago said.
“And loss of trust directly leads to hesitancy to heed scientifically sound medical solutions such as vaccines.”
Former DOH secretary and now House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Janette Garin of Iloilo linked vaccine hesitancy to misinformation.
“The Philippines currently only has a 75 percent child immunization rate, short of the World Health Organization’s target of 90 percent,” she said.
“And we can attribute this hesitancy to mass misinformation events such as the Dengvaxia scare back in 2017.”
The group said legitimate scientific disagreement and criticism of government policies must remain protected, while medical claims and serious allegations should be supported by verifiable evidence.
“This is about upholding the standards expected of the medical profession. Doctors must be free to question policies and debate scientific issues, but the public also has the right to expect that medical claims are responsibly communicated, and allegations against colleagues are supported by evidence,” former Philippine Children’s Medical Center executive director Dr. Julius Lecciones said.
The group offered to submit documentation to the PRC and other authorities and sought a fair, impartial review.
It urged the public and media to rely on verified records and allow proper institutions to determine whether professional or legal violations occurred.
In a social media post, Leachon acknowledged the call to investigate him over alleged violations of medical ethics, but hopes the probe will not be “weaponized to intimidate those who stand for justice.”
“With humility and sincerity, I affirm that my lifelong advocacy has always been anchored on one principle: the protection of patients and the pursuit of truth in public health. My statements on the Dengvaxia controversy were never meant to malign colleagues, but to highlight issues of accountability and transparency that continue to affect thousands of Filipino families who lost loved ones,” Leachon posted.
He said it is “deeply regrettable that these efforts to speak for victims are now being met with harassment and attempts to silence me.”
“No amount of pressure or disciplinary threats can erase the facts surrounding the Dengvaxia cases, nor diminish the right of victims’ families to seek justice. As a physician and citizen, I remain steadfast in my duty to speak out when public health and patient welfare are at stake,” he said. (PNA)
