RAPS FILED VS 2 BOGUS THERAPISTS OFFERING SERVICES FOR SPECIAL KIDS

THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed charges against two female suspects  offering “therapy” services for children with special needs without proper government licenses.

Suspects Jogie Enal and Analiza Lopez were charged for violation of Republic Act 11241 or the Philippine Occupational Therapy Law of 2018 before the Quezon Provincial Prosecutors’ Office.

According to the NBI, the duo were arrested on Dec. 19 by members of the NBI Lucena District Office (NBI-LUCDO) in an entrapment in Lucban town.

One of the victims filed the complaint before the NBI against the Angel Hands Intervention Center (Angel Hands) owned by Enal, which offered its services on its Facebook page.

The services included occupational therapy, speech therapy and applied behavioral analysis therapy to children who are suffering from down syndrome, autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, learning disability, dyslexia and other special conditions.

The complainant said he was enticed to seek the firm’s help for his three-year-old son.

Enal allegedly identified herself as an occupational therapist while Lopez as the assistant teacher/caregiver of Angel Hands.

She then demanded P1,000 as advance payment for the “assessment of the child and an additional P3,800 for the three-month therapy” to be paid before the therapy begins.

The complainant eventually discovered that Enal was not a legitimate occupational therapist and that she had already victimized unsuspecting parents of children with autism.

The NBI-LUCDO conducted a verification with the Professional Regulation Commission and found out that Enal is not a licensed therapist.