TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The investigative program Bongkar plans to dig into the issue of online abortion network, which is a theme chosen by internet users via polling mechanism published since August of 2018.

This will be Bongkar’s second investigation after the program initially produced an article that managed to break down the irregularities contained in Jakarta administration’s regional budget (APBD) report.

The topic of an online abortion network was voted by 6,540 online participants that eliminated two other topics; the mistreatment of circus animals and the hunting of rare animals behind the sparkling world fashion industry.

“In the internet era, illegal abortion also adopted an online platform and not just the network of fixers in the vicinity of official clinics,” said Bagja Hidayat, Tempo Magazine’s managing editor of investigations today. Feb. 14.

Internet’s ease of access is often used by perpetrators to freely sell abortion drugs, which is suspected to involve midwives, doctors, and fixers that hide behind the contact numbers of promotion websites.

The practice allegedly does not stop at providing drugs but also accommodating and facilitating illegal abortions where Jakarta alone houses at least over 100 illegal abortion clinics that charge for Rp9 million up to Rp10 million per abortion.

“Each clinic takes around 10 patients each day,” Bagja explained.

The Bongkar program is initiated by Tempo together with Kitabisa and Change.org that works independently through public funding by Kitabisa.

RIKY FERDIANTO