CAMP GEN. MALVAR, Batangas City – A 63-year-old retired navy personnel was arrested for alleged illegal practice on dentistry on Tuesday afternoon by a joint police team during an entrapment operation in his residence in Barangay Gasang, Mabini town.
Batangas provincial police director Senior Supt. Alden Bacarra Delvo identified the arrested person as Leopoldo Escalona Mañibo, a retired Navy personnel and Gasang village resident in Mabini town.
Delvo said Mañibo’s arrest stemmed from his alleged illegal practice of dentistry in violation of Article V, Section 33 (a) of Republic Act 9484 or the Dental Code of Ethics.
Case officer SPO1 Antonio Magsino Jr. said that around 4:15 p.m. on March 13, Mabini Police Station operatives, led by its chief of police Chief Insp. Randy C. Oliquino, with the Philippine Dental Association (PDA)-Batangas Chapter president Dr. Edna Bermas, and Dr. Francis Abrahan, chair on Illegal Practice committee of the dental association chapter, launched their entrapment operation against the suspect.
The suspect was arrested while in the act of engaging in dentistry without a certificate of registration and professional identification card, said Oliquino.
The arresting team also recovered from scene 60 pontic cartridges and loose pontics, 24 impression trays, 17 pink wax acrylics, 12 preformed retainers, five dentures for polishing, three cast stone, three plasters of Paris, two retainers for installation, three wax carvers, three wax, two articulators, two orthopliers: die stone, vice grip, steel cutter, knot adjuster, bench grinder, bench polisher, soldering instrument, surveyor, carpenter hammer, caliper, stainless tray, alcohol torch, wire clap roll, bone rongeour, elevator and hatchet.
Police are now preparing appropriate charges against the suspect who is now detained at the police station jail. (Jojo C. Magsombol/PNA)
