5 Vietnamese nationals arrested for 'illegal practice of medicine' -- NBI
Five Vietnamese nationals have been arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Makati City for “illegal practice of medicine.”
They were identified by the NBI as Phan Ngoc Duc, Tuan Anh Pham, Thi Dieu Linh Dinh, Voung Thi Ngan, and Lo Thi Mai.
It said they were arrested by operatives of the NBI-Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD) during an entrapment operation that was conducted last August 7 in Barangay La Paz, Makati City.
It also said that during the operation, the foreigners were “caught in flagrante delicto (caught in the act) of performing the overt act.”
“Medical tools and related paraphernalia used in the procedures were also seized,” it noted.
The NBI said that those arrested were charged before the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office with violations of Republic Act (RA) No. 2382, the Medical Act of 1959, in relation to RA No. 10174, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012; RA 9711, the Food and Drug Administration Act; and RA No. 10918, the Philippine Pharmacy Act.
It also said the operation was conducted after receiving verified information that “certain foreign nationals were engaging in the unauthorized practice of medicine.”
“The individuals were found to be advertising their services on social media platforms offering cosmetic procedures such as brow lifts, lip surgery, fox eye surgery, under-eye fillers, thread lifts, and upper eyelid surgery,” it added.
After surveillance, the NBI said the five foreigners were found performing medical procedures without the necessary government licenses from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).