The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is set to file before the
justice department charges against 17 persons implicated in the
leakage that marred the June 2006 nursing licensure examination.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and NBI Director Nestor Mantaring
said the charges will be filed against them either Wednesday or
Thursday for violating Republic Act 8981, the Professional Regulation
Commission (PRC) Modernization Act of 2000.

Mantaring said manuscripts containing test questions, which Board of
Nursing members Anesia Dionisio and Virginia Madeja prepared, are
among the NBI's documentary evidence proving occurrence of the leakage.

Both officials said suspects the NBI will charge are all officers of
three nursing review centers but they neither revealed their
identities nor named these institutions involved.

"For fairness' sake, we'll allow NBI to first file the cases before
divulging such information, " Ermita said during a Palace briefing Wednesday.

Mantaring said the NBI conducted a nationwide probe on the leakage
but found evidence showing such irregularity occurred in Baguio City
and Manila only.

To help facilitate prosecution of parties involved, he said the NBI's
report includes each of the three review centers' list of registrants
so these can be matched with the list of June 2006 nursing board
examinees which the PRC maintains.

The matching aims to identify who among the examinees could have
possibly benefited from the leakage.

Ermita said the NBI will furnish Labor Secretary Arturo Brion a copy
of its report so he can review this and recommend to President Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo whether a re-take of the examination is necessary.

Malacanang expects Brion to give on Saturday morning at the latest
his recommendation on the matter so Ermita can in turn submit a
corresponding report to the Chief Executive who is expected to decide
on the issue early next week.

Mrs. Arroyo earlier tasked Brion to consult with authorities
concerned and decide on whether or not a re-take is in order so that
such option can be recommended for the Palace's action.

Brion earlier expressed preference for a re-take, however, to help
clarify the issue.

Some sectors are expressing concern over possible escape of people
implicated in the leakage to avoid prosecution, although Mantaring
said the NBI hasn't received information about such move.

"We don't consider them as flight risks since they're professionals, " he said.

PRC Chairperson Leonor Rosero said the agency stands pat on a
no-retake decision since repeating the examination would be
tantamount to punishing examinees who passed the board fairly.

Instead, she said the PRC is batting for investigation of Dionisio
and Madeja to uncover the truth behind the leakage.

The PRC concluded its probe on both women and implicated them in the scam.

Mantaring said they will face charges also if evidence warrants such.

Based on RA 8981, "any person who manipulates or rigs licensure
examination results, secretly informs or makes known licensure
examination questions prior to the conduct of the examination or
tampers with the grades in professional licensure examinations shall,
upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment of not less than six
years and one day to not more than 12 years or a fine of not less
than PhP50,000 to not more than PhP100,000 or both such imprisonment
and fine at the discretion of the court."

RA 8981 also provides that if offender is an officer or employee of
PRC or a member of the regulatory board, he or she "shall be removed
from office and shall suffer the penalty of perpetual absolute
disqualification from public office in addition to the penalties
prescribed in the preceding section of this Act." (PNA)