Mother, daughter nabbed for running 'abortion' clinic 

A mother and her daughter were arrested in Bulacan for allegedly operating an abortion clinic.

According to a "24 Oras" report by John Consulta on Wednesday, the 47-year-old mother and her 20-year-old daughter were nabbed in their home at Baliuag, Bulacan during an entrapment operation by the National Bureau of Investigation-Organized and Transnational Crime Division (NBI-OTCD).

The group running the clinic was allegedly openly promoting their services online as a “super safe” abortion service, complete with posted testimonials from satisfied clients.

The suspects allegedly asked for P20,000 for their services, with fees for add-on services.

“P20,000 ang bayad, tapos nagtanong kung ang fetus daw ay dadalhin ba. Nung sinabing hindi na, nanghingi sila ng additional [na] P3,000 para sa paglibing ng fetus. Tapos, plus P2,000 sa after meds, so bali P25,000 lahat ang siningil nila,” said NBI OTCD chief Attorney Jerome Bomediano.

(The payment is P20,000, then they would ask if the patient will bring the fetus. Patients who will leave the fetus will be charged an additional P3,000 for burial services. They also charge P2,000 for the medicines.)

During the operation, the NBI was able to retrieve the marked money and equipment used during the alleged abortion services.

“Medyo nakakatakot talaga kasi yung gagamitin nilang tools, unsanitized. May kalawang pa yung iba doon. Dugyot talaga, tapos yung bed na gagamitin, foam lang na nasa sahig… Siguro yung mga naging kliyente nito, may tendency na nagkaroon ng infection o tetanus kasi unsanitized talaga mga yung gamit,” said Bomediano

(It’s really scary because the tools that they were going to use were unsanitized. There’s even rust on some of them. It’s really unhygienic, and the bed that they were going to use was just foam on the floor… Their former clients probably got an infection or tetanus because their equipment is unsanitized)

The suspects also allegedly had a technique to mislead possible authorities by asking their clients to meet them in a different area before accompanying them to the clinic.

“Hindi ka dederetso doon sa kung nasaan ang area na gagawin. Susunduin ka muna, may iseset sila na lugar na doon ka pupunta. Katulad sa atin, pinapunta sila sa isang mall tapos doon sila sinundo,” he added.

(You will not go straight to the area where they will be doing it. They will fetch you first and they will set an area where you will go. In our case, they asked us to go to a mall where someone fetched us.)

The suspects are facing charges of illegal practice of medicine, violation of the FDA law, illegal abortion and cybercrime law. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/LDF, GMA Integrated News