In this handout photo, police arrest "Jaja" in an entrapment operation in Cotabato City for offering dental services without a license. PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group photo

MANILA — Police arrested a 26-year-old woman practicing dentistry without a license in Cotabato City after she agreed to put orthodontic braces on an undercover police asset.

Police Lt. Wallen Mae Arancillo, Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group spokesperson, said the suspect, identified only as “Jaja”, was apprehended in an entrapment operation tn her residence last Wednesday, March 12.

The operation stemmed from the Regional Anti-Cyber Crime Unit – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region or RACU-BAR’s discovery of the suspect’s post on Facebook, claiming she is a dentist and offering dental services, including braces installation, for only P1,000.

Arancillo told reporters at Camp Crame in Quezon City on Thursday that the P1,000 would supposedly cover materials, labor and cleaning.

She said "Jaja" arranged the appointments with clients online and would set up meetings with them to bring them to her house, where the braces would be installed.

RACU-BAR operatives immediately coordinated with the Philippine Dental Association, which later confirmed that “Jaja” is not a licensed dentist.

“Mismong cyber cop natin ang nakipag-engage sa suspect. Sinundo siya sa labas ng lugar nila, dinala sa bahay nila at doon ginawa ang cleaning,” Arancillo said.

(One of our cyber cops engaged the suspects. She fetched the police asset outside her place and brought them to her house for cleaning)

The suspect was about to put braces on the undercover police asset when she was arrested.

Police also confiscated the suspect’s dental materials and equipment, which Arancillo said was not up to professional standards.

“Ini-sterilize niya lang itong mga gamit sa mainit na tubig na hindi talaga dapat gawin ng isang dentist kasi kung makikita natin sa mga clinic, merong mga apparatus or mga machine na appropriate na ginagamit nung mga professional dentist na wala sa kanya,” Arancillo noted.

(We saw that she just used hot water to clean the equipment. She did not have the machines that professional dentists do)

She said police had consulted with professional dentists who said dental operations should be done in proper clinics and that equipment should be completely sterilized. 

“Nung isinagawa yung entrapment operation, nakita natin na doon lang ginagawa sa labas ng bahay nila, sa gilid ng ilog and makikita natin yung paligid ay hindi malinis,” she added.

(During our operation, we saw that she did this outside her home, beside a river, and the surroundings were not clean)

According to World Health Organization data, the country only had 2.6 dentists for every 10,000 people in 2022.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa in 2024 acknowledged the Philippines has too few dentists, with just two state schools offering dentistry programs because of the cost of equipment.

Wages in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, where Cotabato City is, are also lower than in other parts of the country.

The minimum wage in the region, which supposedly is based on cost of living there, ranges from P316 to P361 a day.

'TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE'

The PNP-ACG reminded the public to be cautious of offers that seem “too good to be true.”

She went on: “Sa paghahabol natin ng murang dental service ay maaaring makaapekto ito sa ating kalusugan, especially sa ngipin natin and kung masisira man ito, mas mahal yung medication and gamot na maaari nating bayaran.”

(By trying to get cheap dental services, we are risking our health because if there are problems, we might end up paying more for treatment)

The suspect is facing charges for illegal practice of dentistry in violation of Republic Act 9484 or the Philippine Dental Act of 2007 in relation to Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.