NKTI: Suspected leader of alleged kidney trafficking not head nurse

The National Kidney Transplant Institute (NKTI) on Wednesday said the suspected leader behind the group involved in kidney trafficking in Bulacan is not their head nurse. 

“Si Mr. Allan Ligaya po, hindi po siya head nurse, iko-correct po namin ‘yun. Staff nurse not a head nurse. Siya po ay nagtatrabaho sa amin ng 23 years, 23 years na siya dito sa amin. Wala naman po siyang record pagdating sa trabaho,” Dr. Nerissa M. Gerial, NKTI deputy executive director for Nursing Services said in a press conference. 

(Mr. Allan Ligaya, he is not the head nurse, we wanted to correct that. Staff nurse, not a head nurse. He has been working with us for 23 years, he has been here with us for 23 years. He has no bad record when it comes to work.)

Gerial said the executive committee of the NKTI immediately called for a meeting with Ligaya on Tuesday after learning the news.

“Nandito po siya kahapon. Tinanong namin siya. Ang sabi niya hindi raw totoo at hindi daw nila kilala ‘yung tatlong tao na sinasabi doon sa news,” said Dr. Rose Marie Rosete-Liquete, NKTI executive director. 

(He was here yesterday. We asked him. He said it was not true and that he does not know the three people mentioned in the news.)

“Tinanong namin, dine-deny niya. Wala daw siyang involvement so hindi na kami makalakad sa imbestigasyon so magre-rely lang kami sa NBI,” she added. 

(We asked him but he denied. He said he had no involvement so we can't proceed with the investigation so we will just rely on the investigation of the NBI.)

Aside from this, Liquete clarified that Ligaya is not assigned to the unit where they have direct access to the patients.

Asked if there is any legal action being taken by the NKTI, Liquete said there is none because the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has yet to question Ligaya and their other medical staff.

“Una wala pa kaming talagang action na nagagawa kasi wala pang kaso, ni NBI nga wala pang action. Pumapasok naman siya sa ospital pero wala namang pumunta ni isa sa NBI. So sa aming parte wala kaming basehan. We were asking them to come here para ma-interview ‘yung nurse,” Liquete noted. 

(First, we haven't really taken any action because there is no case filed yet. He is here in hospital but no one from the NBI came here to question him. So, on our part, we have no basis yet.)

"Kasi daw preliminary pa lang daw 'yung kanilang nakukuhang data so hindi rin namin alam kung saan ginawa 'yung mga transplant na iba. Pero sinabi nung tatlo at chineck din namin na hindi naman sila sa NKTI na transplant," she said. 

(Because what they have are still preliminary data, we also don't know where the other transplants were done. But three of the victims said, and we have checked our records, that their procedures were not done in NKTI.) 

Still, NKTI stressed that they are willing to help Ligaya, in any legal way, as he is still their employee and it affects the image of the hospital. 

“Sabi namin, susuportahan ka naman namin, basta magsabi ka ng totoo. Kasi hindi mo naman mababalewala, empleyado mo pa rin and also ‘yung image din ng NKTI,” she added.

(We told him that we will support him as long as he is telling the truth. We cannot deny the fact that he is still our employee and it will also affect the image of NKTI.)

Liquete further said the doctors who performed the operations were not named.

Several suspects involved in kidney organ trafficking have been arrested while nine victims have been rescued by the National Bureau of Investigation in San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan on July 11.

The alleged leader of the group remains at large.

The executive director was also asked about her personal knowledge about the kidney trafficking happening in hospitals. 

"Nababalitaan din namin 'yung nasa online daw, 'yung may Facebook daw sila. E hindi naman namin alam i-access yon. Ang pasyente hindi naman namin alam kung sino sila, mga bali-balita lang. Eh nakarating din sa ethics committee," she said. 

(We also heard that they are online, that they transact in Facebook. The problem is we don't know how to access that. The patients, we don't know who they are, we're just hearing stories. The matter has already reached the ethics committee.) 

With this, the NKTI head reminded the public that donating a kidney is not an easy process but it should be free of charge.

“Hindi ora-oradang nai-schedule ang transplant. May workup sila, donor and recipient," she noted. 

(The transplant cannot just be scheduled because both the donor and the recipient need to undergo a workup.)

"We try to be very strict in the process. Madaming layers ‘yan (There are many layers to it). There has to be a social or emotional relationship between the donor and the recipient," Liquete added.—AOL, GMA Integrated News