DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan — A medical practitioner who also teaches in a medical school in San Carlos City was arrested by the agents of National Bureau of Investigation – Dagupan District Office (NBI-DADO) following an entrapment operation 11 a.m. Monday, June 28.
The suspect, Dr. Rhoderick Asuncion, 53, was nabbed after receiving the P25,000 marked money — a mix of genuine and boddle money, in his clinic in Barangay Lucao, Dagupan City.
The operation stemmed from a complaint of an Indian national student on June 20.
Agent Mark Caceres of the NBI-DADO said the female Indian student went to their office and asked for their assistance, as majority of 90 medical students were allegedly failed by Asuncion in their medical subjects.
“Apparently, binagsak sila nitong propesor nila in exchange na magbayad sila ng P35,000 para pumasa sa subject nila”, said Caceres.
Caceres clarified Asuncion allegedly extorted P35,000 each student, most of them foreign nationals.
Further investigation revealed some students have already paid Asuncion in cold, hard cash.
Hearing the complaints of the student, the NBI-DADO prepared for the operation. As a farce, the complainant asked Asuncion if she could initially pay an amount of P25,000, to which he agreed.
Further probe into Asuncion’s profile reveals similar complaints were also lodged against him in 2019, as foreign students also complained to the NBI on the same modus.
They, however, were unable to push through with the operation.
Caceres said Asuncion has been teaching for five years already.
The NBI filed charges of Robbery Extortion against Asuncion. The counts would increase as more students would rise and file their respective complaints.
“Pwede siyang matanggalan ng lisensya rito kung mapatunayan”, said Caceres.
In a separate interview, Asuncion denied the accusations against him.