‘Hermaphrodite’ surfaces, seeks help

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — A 23-year-old hermaphrodite in Valencia City, Bukidnon, bucked shame and fear yesterday and openly sought help so he could become a whole man, instead of having both male and female sex organs all his life.

Andoy (not his real name), an Ilonggo, let the whole world know about his predicament when he asked Valencia City Mayor Jose Galario for help and medical attention.

Galario said he was skeptical at first but when he examined Andoy, he found out that the latter had indeed two sexual organs.

In a long distance telephone interview with The STAR, Galario disclosed that Andoy’s penis is located just above a fully-formed small vagina.

He also said that although Andoy has a penis, it would be "inadequate" to perform any sexual act because it is just an inch long and has no hole in its fully formed "head."

"He urinates through his vagina," Galario added.

He said that Andoy stands 5' 4", has brown complexion and is quite good looking.

Andoy’s breasts reportedly began to grow and develop just like any normal girl when he was 17 years old. However, his body retained the features of a man.

Andoy said that he feels like a man even if he has two sex organs. He claimed to have had three girlfriends, two of whom did not know of his "abnormality."

Andoy’s third girl friend left him when she learned of his having two "equipment" during a sexual encounter.

Dr. Remedios Ortigosa, acting regional director of the Department of Health in Northern Mindanao, said that Andoy must undergo first a physical examination before they could help him.

She declined to comment on Andoy’s sexuality until they get the assessment result from DOH-Bukidnon. She explained that they have learned their lesson the hard way from the case of Edwin Bayron.

Bayron alias Carlo, was a homosexual health worker in Malaybalay, Bukidnon, who claimed in the early 1990s that he was pregnant.

Hundreds of local, domestic and international media personalities converged in Bukidnon to document Carlo’s pregnancy after the story saw print.

However, Carlo disappeared after taking thousands of dollars from different international media outlets that paid for exclusive coverage.