NBI will charge 17 in nursing examination leakage

By Sam Mediavilla, Reporter
Manila Times

The National Bureau of Investigation will indict 17 persons, including two examiners of the Professional Regulatory Commission’s nursing board, for the scandal besetting the nursing licensure examination in June.

NBI Director Nestor Man­taring made the announcement as he joined Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita at a news briefing Wednesday.

Mantaring said the NBI has established that the leakage happened only in Baguio City and Manila.

He will file administrative and criminal charges Wednesday at the Department of Justice.

With the NBI ending its investigation, Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said he would submit an administrative order for the retake of the exam next week.

Brion said he could submit a draft of the order on Saturday, which could be released by Monday after it is signed by the President.

Malacañang delayed the release of the order until the NBI finished its report on the leakage.

Ermita said Brion’s draft could recommend a total or selective retake of the nursing board exam.
Brion earlier voiced support for a total retake of the nursing board exam.

Mantaring said the charges against the 17, who included nursing examiners Anesia Dionisio and Virginia Madeja, were based on the testimonies of about 20 witnesses and manuscripts prepared by the examiner that found their way to three nursing review centers.

Ermita said the charges concern violations of the Professional Regulation Commission Modernization Act of 2000 (Republic Act 8981).

The charges carry a prison term of 6 to 12 years.

Ermita would not identify the other persons to be sued, saying the charges have yet to be filed.

He said PRC Chairman Leonor Rosero could be in trouble for accusing Brion and Dr. Dante A.

Ang of the Commission on Overseas Filipinos of “intruding” on the affairs of the PRC.

He said an administrative order would be issued and not an executive order as the Palace had earlier announced.

Ermita said an estimated 1,900 students may have benefited from the leakage. He said the number was determined through a formula that was presented during the Cabinet meeting called by the President Wednesday.

Brion told reporters after attending his confirmation hearing at the Senate Wednesday that the President had empowered him to resolve the nursing examination mess.

“I am the decision maker. Let others do the debates and I’ll listen to everyone. As much as possible I want to finish it this week. I am as eager as everyone to finish this study and put a closure on this nursing exam leakage,” he said.

Administration congressmen on Wednesday supported the clamor to replace the defiant Rosero.
Marcelino Libanan of Eastern Samar and Eduardo Veloso of Leyte said Rosero should be fired for displaying arrogance and insubordination after she criticized as improper the President’s order transferring the PRC to the labor department.

The two lawmakers advised the Palace not to tolerate Rosero’s improper conduct.

Libanan said Rosero’s allegations were unfair to Mrs. Arroyo, and that the Cabinet is trying to find ways to restore the integrity of the nursing profession, which the PRC failed to protect.

“The least the PRC chairman could do is to coordinate and cooperate instead of launching her tirades and getting into a word war against government officials concerned. That was arrogance on her part,” Li­banan said.

Veloso said Rosero’s act of publicly criticizing the President’s order was uncalled for, since such a decision is the prerogative of Mrs. Arroyo.

“If she had some misgivings about the order, then she should have met privately with the President and discuss them with her. What she did was clear arrogance and insubordination,” Veloso said. --Ronnie E. Calumpita, Katrice R. Jalbuena and Maricel V. Cruz