Besieged dentists seek help of gov’t

The Philippine Dental Association is now asking the government to step in and address the spate of robberies and sexual molestations targeting private dentists in Metro Manila which have remained unabated.

“I am appealing to all government officials, including President Aquino, to give attention to this and to help us take proper action against these crimes,” PDA president Roberto Tajonera said, in an interview at his dental clinic in Sampaloc, Manila.

Tajonera said the PDA had also sent a letter to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima seeking for any help she can provide on the matter.

The PDA has been closely coordinating with the police since the robbery-rape case in Paco, Manila, last May, followed by a robbery-molestation in a Quezon City clinic in June.

But Tajonera revealed that the situation has remained “alarming.”

He cited a clinic in Las Piñas which was victimized with the same robbery-molestation modus operandi only two days ago.

He said a Quezon City clinic was also robbed five days ago although the dentist’s husband was there.

Tajonera said that since December 2010, they have recorded 31 reported dental clinic robberies nationwide, including those where the dentists were sexually molested.

Tajonera expressed belief that an organized syndicate, and not just one perpetrator, might be behind the crimes.

He quoted the statement by an arrested clinic robber to a dentist victim in Valenzuela City last December: “Pasalamat ka ako naka-assign dito kundi ire-rape pa kita! (Be thankful I’m the one assigned here or else you will also get raped!)”

Tajonera expressed hope that at least one of the recent clinic robbers, particularly the Paco robber-rapist, would be arrested soon.