The Dagupan police and the city’s Barangay Health Workers finally agreed to collaborate in the campaign to flush out abortionists in the city after a heated exchange between the two sectors.

The reconciliation was reached during last week’s session of the city council but not after the police officer, who initially and erroneously identified one of the arrested suspected abortionists in Dagupan City as a barangay health worker (BHW), was roundly lambasted by the city’s Federation of BHWs.

For her alleged “malicious statement”, P/Inspector Marites Aradanas, head of the Children and Women’s Concern Desk of the city police policewoman, was “condemned
” in the federation’s resolution adopted last June 10 for claiming during a regular session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod that a certain BHW was engaged in abortion activities.

Last Monday, the angry BHWs, led by their president, Roberta Biazon, finally confronted the police officer during the hearing of the Committee on Women and Children chaired by Councilor Farah Marie Decano.

The aggrieved members felt that as a result of the police officer’s statement, the BHWs “are now forced to defend themselves from attacks from various sectors.” The resolution added that the reputation of the BHWs in the community has been very positive until the police made the allegation that one BHW was reported to be performing abortion on women with unwanted pregnancies.

Aradanas, who was initially reluctant to make a public apology, clarified and maintained that she made it clear that her intelligence report was subject to validation. But the BHWs in their resolution said “while the clarification in effect is tantamount to a withdrawal of the first assertion, doubt has nevertheless been cast on each Barangay Health Worker as a potential abortionist.”

Aradanas then confirmed that police investigation showed that that none of the suspects is a BHW.

It took Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, who attended the hearing, to pacify the two “warring factions”, and prodded them to “kiss and make up” and focus on working with each other.

Biazon said all BHWS were hurt by the initial allegation because they were trained by the City Health Office to be pro-life, to protect each child “from womb to tomb”.

City Health Officer Leonard Carbonell also assured the city council that no BHW performs abortion anywhere.

In a bid to reconcile with the BHWs, she thanked Biazon for her quick reaction and assured the angry members that henceforth, BHWs will be removed from the police’s surveillance list.

The heated confrontation ended peacefully on the appeal of Cruz and after Decano said a memorandum of agreement will be signed among the BHW federation, the police and the abortion in the city. Essentially, the agreement will call on BHW to support the police campaign.

Decano said she called for a hearing after cases of abandoned fetuses dumped in different areas here continue to be reported.

She also called the attention of the local pharmacists group led by Justa Domalanta, about the public’s easy access to prescribed drugs that abortionists surreptitiously use yet can only be dispensed with a doctor’s prescription.

Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez said the city council will support a measure that will intensify education campaign to inform women of the risks of abortion on their lives and health.

Abortionists reportedly charge their “patients” from P2,000 to P10,000 each operation depending on the size of the fetus.-LM

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