PRC execs finally appear at Senate probe on nursing leak

Amid threats of arrest from annoyed senators, officials of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) finally showed up Wednesday at the Senate inquiry into the leakage of the recent nursing board exams. Appearing before the Senate Committee on Civil Service and Reorganization were PRC Chair Leonor Tripon-Rosero and commissioners Renato Valdecampos and Avelina dela Rea. The Senate issued "show cause" orders last September 5 against the three officials for repeatedly snubbing its subpoenas. The Senate Sergeant-at-Arms arrested Tuesday last week Chairman Camilo Sabio of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) for defying senators' summonses. Senator Richard Gordon, chair of the Senate panel which moved for Sabio's arrest, warned that he would personally request similar action against the PRC officials' should they maintain their supposed defiant behavior. Also present during the hearing were Elfren Meneses Jr, chief of the anti-fraud and computer crimes division of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). George Cordero, erstwhile president of the Philippine Nursing Association (PNA), submitted a letter to the Senate saying that he was not medically fit to testify and could not make it to Wednesday's proceedings. Cordero had been accused of having a hand in the leakage of the June 11 and 12 nursing exams.-with a report from Joan Dairo, GMANews.TV