Well-known plastic surgery practitioner Dr. Vicki Belo sued for fraud

MANILA, Philippines—A woman trader who had sued celebrity surgeon Dr. Vicki Belo in 2009 for an allegedly botched butt job is suing the famed doctor again, this time for fraud for allegedly pretending to be qualified to do the cosmetic surgery.

In a four-page complaint, Josefina Norcio lodged charges of estafa (fraud) and illegal practice of medicine against Belo and two other doctors of the Belo Medical Group.

The charges were filed late Thursday morning at the Quezon City prosecutors office.

Norcio, a resident of Cubao in Quezon City, had previously sued Belo, Drs. Ronaldo Cayetano and Francis Decangchon in November 2009 after a buttocks’ augmentation procedure allegedly went awry.

The allegations of estafa, reckless imprudence and violation of the Consumer Act were, however, dismissed in June 2010 by assistant city prosecutor Romana Lindayag del Rosario for insufficiency of evidence.

This is the second time that the dissatisfied businesswoman is suing Belo et al for the same surgery on her buttocks, during which hydrogel was used.

Norcio claimed that the substance caused pain and infection in her buttock for which she had to be hospitalized at the St. Luke’s Medical Center after the 2005 augmentation procedure.

The businesswoman added that she nearly died because of the infections she got from the surgery.

The two butt augmentation surgeries were done by Cayetano and Decangchon, while it was Belo who allegedly told Norcio that butt augmentation was a safe, out-patient procedure.

Thursday new complaint was for estafa and other deceits under the Revised Penal Code, as well as illegal practice of medicine under the 1059 Medical Act.

Norcio alleged that Belo, Cayetano and Decangchon were not duly authorized to perform cosmetic surgery.

“Upon inquiries with the Philippine College of Surgeons, I learned that respondents are not fellows or members of the aforesaid college,” the affidavit read.

Likewise, the trader claimed that the three doctors were not members of the Philippine Dermatological Society and the Philippine Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons.

Norcio attached certifications from the said organizations to support her allegations, claiming that the BMG had advertised itself as an expert authorized to conduct cosmetic and aesthetic surgery.