More victims show up vs “fake” doctor

CEBU, Philippines — Three more victims have lodged a complaint against a “fake” doctor arrested by the agents of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI-7) Friday last week, July 19, for alleged illegal practice of medicine and swindling.

The victims, who called themselves “Avatar Girls”, claimed to have developed complications after availing of the medical services offered by Dimber dela Cruz Celis. According to the victims, they had their hiko nose thread procedure done by Celis.

The victims said they availed of the “caravan promotion” of Celis after finding the latter’s post on Facebook to be persuasive. On April 14 and 15, the victims underwent the hiko nose thread procedure inside a hotel in Lahug, Cebu City. The procedure had cost them P7,000 each.

A month later, the victims said, they developed complications like redness of their face, lumps on their forehead, and their eyes were swollen.

The victims tried consulting licensed beauty clinics but they were told that they could not do any medical intervention without knowing the substance injected into their faces.

“Dili jud sila manghilabot unless dili sila makahibalo unsa na medicine ang gidapat ani…bisan unsaon jud namo’g kumbati sa messenger di jud siya motug-an kung unsa ang gibutang,” said one of the victims.

Another victim, a 48-year-old from Cebu City, said she was enticed to avail of the service offered by Celis because of the promise that the effect of the nose job would last up to five years.

“After two months, on June 24, my face started getting bigger every day... I looked like a frog with very large eyes,” said one of victims.

Another victim shared that she was influenced by her sister from Bukidnon who had a hiko nose thread procedure and eye filler treatment by Celis in October 2023.

A 22-year-old who is soon to be bride also had her hiko nose job done by Celis. The victim wanted to look more beautiful when her wedding comes by September prompting her to have her nose job.

“When you press on it, it feels like there are small pebbles... when it swells, it hurts. If it gets triggered, it swells up, and I feel like I have a second forehead,” the victim said.

All the victims said they were made to believe that Celis was a licensed doctor.

So far, the NBI-7 has already filed six cases against Celis for illegal practice of medicine and swindling in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. The NBI is expecting more complainants to come by and file a complaint because there were already 55 people who joined the messenger group of those who were victimized by Celis.

Other victims are from Iloilo, Guimaras, Mindanao, and Pasay City in Manila.

According to the NBI, Celis had been arrested in 2020 for the crime of syndicated estafa in Butuan, where she was the leader and founder of Forex Rice Trading Group.

She was also charged by the NBI in Western Visayas for illegal practice of medicine in Iloilo City in 2023. — /FPL (FREEMAN)