Drugstores tagged as sources of abortion drug
4 abortionists arrested
THE Dagupan City council, headed by Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, has invited the president of the Dagupan Association of Pharmacies to shed light on the allegation that a prescription drug being widely used by abortionists is being dispensed by local drugstores without the required prescriptions.
The invitation was made following the disclosure of Inspector Marites Aradanas, chief of the Women and Children Protection Desk of the Dagupan Police in last Monday’s council session that Cycotec is being sold to abortionists and their “patients” by local drug stores openly, even without a doctor’s prescription.
Aradanas said Cycotec is a prescription medicine to cure ulcer that has an abortive effect on pregnant women and the abortionists are using it for their illegal practice.
City Health Officer Leonard Carbonell was also invited to clarify allegations that midwives and barangay health workers employed by the city, along with barefoot doctors called “hilots”, are among those performing abortion.
At the same time, Aradanas told the city council that they have arrested four abortionists in Dagupan through entrapment operations over the last three month starting April.
The arrested abortionists, with ages ranging from 57 to 69, are from four barangays, namely: Herrero-Perez, Lucao, A.B. Fernandez Avenue and Pantal.
The police, however, withheld the names of the suspects even as three have already been charged before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) for attempted abortion and violation of the medical practice act.
Two of the suspects are now out on bail while another is confined in a hospital after developing high blood pressure after her arrest.
The case of the other suspect is still being investigated by the City Prosecutor’s Office to find out if there is probable cause.
The bail for attempted abortion is P12,000 and higher for intentional abortion.
“We conducted six operations and only four operations turned out to be positive,” said Aradanas who claimed that based on the information that they gathered, there are many abortionists operating in Dagupan City.
Fernandez and Councilor Farah Marie Decano, city council majority floor leader and chair of the women’s and children’s welfare committee, have called for more police operations against abortionists.—LM
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