Makati city: Two Vietnamese nationals were arrested in Makati City for allegedly practicing without the necessary licenses and permits from the Professional Regulation Commission, the Southern Police District (SPD) said on Friday. Suspects alias 'Van,' a 36-year-old male, and alias 'Thi,' a 35-year-old female, were apprehended in an entrapment operation inside a beauty clinic along Salamanca Street in Barangay Poblacion on Thursday.
According to Philippines News Agency, Brig. Gen. Randy Arceo, acting District Director of SPD, reported that the two were caught in the act of performing aesthetic procedures, including Botox injections and dermal filler applications, without the required license to practice medicine in the Philippines. The operation stemmed from verified intelligence provided by a regular confidential informant to the District Special Operations Unit (DSOU) of the SPD.
Joint operatives from the DSOU-SPD and Makati City Police Station deployed a police poseur patient to confirm the illegal practice. Upon arrest, the suspects failed to present any license or accreditation. Arceo said the police recovered substantial evidence from the clinic, including multiple boxes and vials of Botulax and Botox for cosmetic procedures, various mesotherapy solutions and fillers, syringes and microcannula needles along with other surgical supplies, anesthesia, medical tools, official receipts and client forms from the beauty clinic, sales invoices, suspects' identification cards, and cash consisting of the buy-bust money and recovered clinic funds.
The entire operation was documented through body-worn cameras and arrest recording devices. The suspects were informed of their constitutional rights in Vietnamese using a translation application, confirmed understanding, and chose to remain silent. The suspects are now under the custody of DSOU-SPD for documentation and the filing of charges for violation of The Medical Act.
"This operation sends a strong message: The illegal practice of medicine will never be tolerated in our jurisdiction. We will protect the public from unlicensed individuals who put lives at risk for profit. The SPD will continue to be vigilant, active, and allied with the community to ensure public safety and uphold the law," Arceo said in a statement. He urged the public to verify the credentials of medical practitioners before availing of any procedure and to immediately report suspicious medical activities through the SPD hotline or the nearest police station.
