By JEFFREY DAMICOG
Three medical doctors and three hospitals are now under investigation for their suspected involvement in the trafficking of human organs.
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime B. Santiago did not disclose the names of the doctors and the hospitals.
“Kung may knowledge ang doktor about the syndicate mananagot s’ya (If a doctor has knowledge about the syndicate involved in organ trafficking he or she will be held liable),” Santiago said on Tuesday, July 16.
However, he said: "Kung walang knowledge ang doktor, in good faith s’ya, nagperform lang s’ya ng kanyang trabaho (if he has no knowledge of the involvement of a criminal syndicate then he did the organ transplant in good faith, he only did his job).”
The possible involvement of the three doctors and three hospitals was discovered following a rescue operation conducted by the NBI National Capital Region (NBI-NCR) last July 11 at a rented house in Barangay Tungkong Mangga in San Jose De Monte City, Bulacan where recruited kidney donors are housed.
The NBI has already filed criminal complaints against four persons involved in the organ trafficking operation, namely: Allan Ligaya who is pointed as the leader and is allegedly the head nurse of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), Angela Atayde, Marichu Lomibao and Dannel Sicat.
Atayde, Lomibao and Sicat were presented for inquest before the prosecutor’s office in Bulacan following their arrest. Ligaya remains at large, the NBI said.
They were charged with non-bailable offense of qualified trafficking in persons in violation of Section 4(h) of Republic Act (RA) No. 11862, the Expanded Anti-Human Trafficking Act.
NBI Senior Agent John Russel Sabado, who has been assigned to handle the case, said nine victims, ages 25 to 35 years old, were rescued from the July 11 operation including four who have already donated their kidney.
Sabado said all the victims are now in the custody of the City Social Welfare and Development Office of San Jose Del Monte City.
He said that the recruited donors were paid P200,000 in exchange for their kidneys.
He also said the rescued have issued sworn statements where they identified doctors and hospitals involved in the kidney transplant.
“So far po ang na-identify sa sinumpaang ay tatlo na doctor (The sworn statements identified three doctors),” said Sabado who also revealed that the victims identified three hospitals in Quezon City and Manila involved in the kidney transplant.
He said that the NKTI is not one of the hospitals under investigation.
He also said that the criminal group does their recruiting through the Facebook group “Kidney Donor Philippines.” “We are also conducting an investigation on that matter,” he added.
He said the rescue operations was conducted based on the testimony of a female complainant who said she was paid only P150,000 after her kidney was taken from her.
Atayde, one of those arrested, testified: “Napaniwala po kami na legal ang ginagawa hanggang sa huli nalaman namin na bawal pala ang pagbebenta (They made us believe that it is legal but we later found that it is illegal).” said Atayde, a widow with two kids.
A widow with two children, Atayde also testified that she sold her kidney for P200,000 due to poverty and to support her children after her husband died.
“Nagsisisi po ako pero lahat gagawin ko para sa mga anak ko (I am sorry for what I did but I will do anything for my children),” she said.
Atayde revealed that one of the kidney recipients she had met is a child of a prominent politician who passed away.