3-pronged probe, wiretapping charges loom vs Hayden Kho

(Updated 10:50 a.m.) MANILA, Philippines - MANILA, Philippines - A three-pronged probe by the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) and possible wiretap charges await celebrity doctor Hayden Kho over his sex videos posted online. PMA spokesman Bu Castro said in a radio interview the PMA has formed a committee to look into the claims against Kho for conduct unbecoming of a doctor. "Binigayang pansin ito at bubuo ng committee para dito para tingnan… sana nga makipag-cooperate ang nandoon. Subali't titingnan namin ang info na aming makakalap hanggang sa exact facts. Minsan iba-ibang source ang aming kinukunan may sariling opinion. Kung siya mismo magbigay sa amin parte ng babae at parte ng lalaki," Castro said in an interview on dzXL radio. [We have taken notice of this and we will form a committee to investigate this. We hope they will cooperate. We want to get the facts firsthand, not based on secondhand accounts. We hope he will give us the lowdown on what happened.] Castro said the investigation would focus on whether Halili was a patient of Kho; whether their relationship was private; and if Kho was indeed the one who distributed the video. Halili had admitted having a short fling with Kho and had apologized publicly for it. "Ang tanong namin dito, pasyente ba ni Hayden si Katrina Halili o ibang partner niya? ... Ito ba may private relationship? ... At pangatlo kung private at di pasyente, sya ba talaga nagkalat nito? Yan ang gusto namin malaman,"he said. [Is Halili a patient of Kho? Is their relationship private? Was Kho indeed the one who circulated the video? Those are questions we want answered.] He admitted the PMA was "forced" to come up with its own investigation after noticing the furor caused by the sex video scandal. Castro also noted reports that the video of Kho with other women had begun circulating. He said that at the (PMA) convention at Shangri-La, the video was discussed, and that the participants were forced to act on the matter, he said. Wiretapping case? On Tuesday, Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. denounced Kho for posting on the Web his sex video with actress-model Katrina Irene Pe Halili. Halili lodged a complaint against Kho before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Wednesday. Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said Kho faces charges for violating the Anti-Wiretapping Law. "It shall also be unlawful for any person, be he a participant or not in the act or acts penalized in the next preceding sentence, to knowingly possess any tape record, wire record, disc record, or any other such record, or copies thereof, of any communication or spoken word secured either before or after the effective date of this Act in the manner prohibited by this law; or to replay the same for any other person or persons; or to communicate the contents thereof, either verbally or in writing, or to furnish transcriptions thereof, whether complete or partial, to any other person: Provided, That the use of such record or any copies thereof as evidence in any civil, criminal investigation or trial of offenses mentioned in Sec. 3 hereof, shall not be covered by this prohibition.," Section 1 of Republic Act 4200 states. Gonzalez, in a separate interview on dzXL, added he was waiting for Halili to complete her statement before the NBI. "Babalik siya sa NBI ngayon para tapusin ang kanilang pagbigay ng statement. Pagkatapos it will be submitted to me, I will order an investigation [She is to return Thursday to finish her statement. After that, it will be submitted to me, and I will order an investigation]," he said. Mounting criticisms For his part, PMA president Dr. Rey Melchor Santos said the medical community condemns the videos, which he said could tarnish the reputation of the medical profession. “Wala pong doktor na natutuwa sa nangyari. Nakasisira ito sa aming propesyon [No one among my colleagues is happy over what happened. This could damage the reputation of our profession]," Santos said in an interview on dzBB radio on Thursday. No less than Malacañang joined lawmakers and government officials in denouncing Kho’s supposed clandestine manner of taking the videos, which are now making rounds in cyberspace. Santos added that while they would prefer Kho’s “victims" to lodge a complaint against the controversial doctor, the PMA could start its own investigation to determine whether Kho is ethically liable. “Mayroon kaming Commission on Ethics na magco-conduct ng hearing. Mas maganda kung mayroong complainant…Pwedeng mag-conduct ang PMA, motu proprio. We want to self regulate, hindi pwedeng i-allow ito (na) sisira sa dignidad ng medical profession," Santos said. [We have a Commission on Ethics that could look into the matter, although we would prefer if there is a complainant. The PMA could conduct an inquiry on its own initiative. We want to self-regulate. We cannot allow anything that could taint our image.] Still, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) could penalize Kho and revoke his license if proven that he committed wrongdoing. In a separate dzBB interview on Thursday, PRC chairperson Nicolas Lapeña Jr. said the investigation on Kho falls under ambit of the Board of Medical Examiners and the PMA and that the PRC would act on their recommendations. “Sila muna ang gagawa ng investigation at kung anuman ang resulta nun, saka lang i-aakyat sa PRC [The Board and the PMA would conduct the probe, whose results would be elevated to the PRC]," Lapeña said. - GMANews.TV