■ Ofelia C. Empian
The Philippine Regulatory Commission-Cordillera has filed cases against 19 individuals posing as licensed dentists.
PRC-Cordillera Director Juanita Domogen said the agency has recorded the 19 criminal cases as of Oct. 31, which are either pending at the regular courts or filed at different prosecutor’s offices.
Domogen said some of the bogus professionals are conducting their operations in the Cordillera but most of the cases filed are from La Union and Pangasinan.
She said the fake dentists were caught when they tried to renew their licenses using falsified documents to the PRC. Others were discovered by the Civil Service Commission or the local government unit during verification of their professional license.
“Others avail of the services of the non-professionals maybe because they offer a cheaper service. However, the public should make sure to verify that they are dealing with licensed dentists so that the service they are getting is high quality also,” Domogen said.
For instance, Domogen said installation of orthodontic braces usually cost P40,000 or more but illegal practitioners would charge P10,000 to P15,000 only.
Most of the 19 cases, with some dating back 2012, are graduates of the program but failed to pass the licensure examination.
Domogen said there are also pending administrative cases filed against other professionals such as teachers, physicians, accountants, mechanical engineers, nurses, midwife, medical technologist, and architects, who were charged for various reasons such as non-delivery of the service agreed upon with clients.
She said the public can verify professionals using the PRC’s website or they can email the agency with the name and the birth date of the professional they are inquiring of.
She also encouraged professionals to renew their licenses, especially those actively practicing their profession to prevent lawsuits. – Ofelia C. Empian