NBI files charges vs 17 execs of 3 nursing review centers

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed charges Thursday against 17 executives of three review centers over the leak that marred last June’s nurse licensure examination. Charged before the Department of Justice (DOJ) were officials of the Gapus Review Center, Inress Review Center, and Pentagon Review Center. "We have enough evidence against the three review centers, based on statements and affidavits we have gathered," said NBI anti-fraud and computer crimes division (AFCCD) head Elfren Meneses Jr. The review center officers will be charged with violating Republic Act 8981, or the act modernizing the Professional Regulation Commission. If convicted, they can be imprisoned for six to 12 years or fined between P50,000 to P100,000, or both. "We have gathered the manuscripts of the questions prepared by the Nursing Board which they distributed to the examinees, compact discs, sworn statements and affidavits, power point presentation, handwritten 495 questions prepared by the examinees" Meneses said. He said the Board of Nursing was the one that prepared the questionnaires for the examinations for nursing licensure. "We have more or less 20 witnesses composed of students, those who photocopied the questionnaires. There is definitely a leakage," the NBI official said. Meneses submitted to Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuno six bundles of documentary evidence against the respondents. Zuno said he will name prosecutors to conduct the preliminary investigation against the respondents. Meneses pointed out that this was evident in a computer slideshow presentation that included at least 495 questions asked in the actual exams. The examination was mired in controversy after several examinees revealed that some review centers had leaked the questions in two of five tests. Some 17,000 passed out of more than 40,000 who took the examination. The respondents included Ricarte Gapuz, Evangeline Gapuz, Elena Altarejose, Elizabeth Iciano and Eleanor Gapuz from Gapuz Review Center; George Cordero, Adela Cordero, Jerry Cordero, Corazon Sabado, Mac John Fabian, Lolita Barlajan, and Eugenia Alcantara from Inress Review Center; and, Gerald Andamo, Glenn Luansing, Mike Jimenez, Jerome Balistomo and Ferdie Valdez from Pentagon Review Center. -GMANews.TV