Abortionist nabbed in Caloocan

A 78-year-old widow and two of her assistants were arrested and charged for performing abortions in a sting operation Thursday night in Caloocan, authorities said yesterday.

Superintendent Jimili Macarag, District Police Intelligence Unit (DPIU) chief, identified the suspect as Catalina Jose alias "Nanay Helen," a native of Leyte.

Tagged by police as accessories to the crime were Nilda Gomez alias "Yayang," 41, a native of Agusan del Sur and Michael David Jose alias "Bong," 38, all residents of Phase 2, Package 2 Block 44, Lot 17, Bagong Silang, Caloocan City.

Seized from the suspects were a rubber bag for hot and cold compress, a box of surgical gloves, 12 forceps, a blood diluting pipette, prescription pads, 10 surgical sutures, several syringes, two jars, antibiotics and painkillers, three boxes of catheters, a sterilizing basin, five pairs of scissors, needles, surgical blades, a suction nozzle, and a bedpan.

In his report, PO3 Melito Pabon, officer-on-case, said intel officers PO3 Giovanni Fuentes and PO2 Roy Anthony Oropesa pounced on the suspects at 7 p.m. last Thursday inside their residence in Bagong Silang.

The suspects fell for the policemen’s ruse with civilian Erlinda Bedana posing as a client.

Prior to their arrest, Macarag received information from an Eric Faustino, who later posed with Bedana as client-couple, saying a certain Nanay Helen of Bagong Silang was allegedly actively engaged in illegal abortion.

Macarag then formed a team to verify the report.

After paying P7,000 for the operation, Erlinda gave the pre-arranged signal for the agents to enter the house and arrest the suspects. The money for the abortion was recovered from the suspect. – With Pete Laude