X-ray technician arrested for taking videos of patients

A 25-year old X-ray technician in Tondo, Manila was arrested after he was caught taking videos of a patient while they were changing clothes.

In a "24 Oras" report of Jhomer Apresto on Wednesday, a 27-year old Manila City Hall employee with the alias Chel had gone to a clinic for an annual physical exam.

While she was in the changing her clothes in a room, she noticed that the suspect had left a phone under the table that was pointed at her.

At this point, Chel became nervous. When she grabbed the phone and checked it, she said that the phone has been recording for around 11 minutes and 22 seconds.

"Nakita ko yung sarili ko, nakahubad ako kung paano ako naghubad, kung paano rin ako nagbihis," Chel said.

(I saw myself, I was naked in the way I took off my clothes and how I changed.)

The victim immediately confronted the X-ray technician, who quickly took the phone and said that it was just malfunctioning. He promised to erase the video.

Despite this, the victim immediately told the police, who apprehended the suspect.

While at the police station, the suspect allowed Chel to check his phone if he had truly erased the video of her. To her surprise, the suspect had also taken videos of other patients.

Chel said there were around 30 to 50 videos, with many of them seemed young.

The victim said that the suspect even had a setup where it seemed like he was posting a vlog.

One of the employees from the clinic admitted that the suspect was not a registered X-ray technician. He had only introduced himself as an radio technologist student who was about to take his exam.

GMA News has reached out to Dr. Edgar Santos of the Manila Health Department about the incident, who said that while he has not received the report. The office will probe whether the said clinic has all the required licenses.

GMA news has also reached out to the clinic for a comment.

Police are still investigating the matter, with local police saying that they will request a cybercrime search warrant for the probe.

The suspect has undergone inquest and is facing possible charges for violating the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009.

He was also charged with violating Article 172 of the Penal Code or the falsification of documents after it was found that he presented a fake persons with disability ID card to police.

The suspect may also be charged with violating the Radiologic Technology Act of 1992 if it is proven that he faked being an X-ray technician. — Jean Mangaluz/BAP, GMA News