Former PRC examiner appeals conviction for Nursing exam leakage

A former Professional Regulation Commission-Nursing Board examiner has asked the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division for reconsideration on her conviction for graft over leaked test questions in the June 2006 Nursing Licensure Examinations.

 

The anti-graft court convicted Anesia Buenafe Dionisio on November 14 and sentenced her to six years in prison for negligence in her custody of the test questions by allowing one Evelyn Asinas, an employee of PRC, to encode and print hard copies of the questions for her.

 

Dionisio said she asked Asinas for help because she was "computer illiterate" and was having trouble with her memory because of a bout of meningitis.

She added prosecutors failed to show that she had anything to gain from the leakage.

 

“The intent to willfully divulge for some pecuniary or material benefit or advantage is clearly lacking in the instant case. At best, the disclosure of the confidential information was the result of simple negligence which is not sufficient for a (graft) conviction,” Dionisio said through counsel on November 29.

 

Dionisio also said the court held her liable for giving Asinas access to the exam questions without the written permission of the chairman of the PRC.

She pointed out, though, that even if she had had written clearance for Asinas, the leakage would still have happened.

 

“With all due respect, it would be an egregious error on the part of the Honorable Court to find the Accused guilty due to simple negligence citing the blind adherence to the principle that a criminal intent is not necessary to be established in finding one liable (of graft). To do so would be a pure travesty,” the defense said. — JDS, GMA News