Cebu passers oppose retake, to stage rally

Cebu-based passers of the June Nursing Board Examination will be asking President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to reconsider her decision for a retake of the controversial licensure test. To dramatize their plea, the nurses and their parents are scheduled to stage a rally at the Fuente Osmeña today.

Lino Bautista, Chairman of the Legal committee of the "Tapok-tapok sa Nanaghiusa Batok sa Retake" said that they will submit a manifesto to the president to express their opposition of her order for a retake of the nursing exam.

The president, in wire reports last night, has clarified that only tests 3 and 5, which are the portions covered by the alleged leakage, will be retaken.

The retake of the two parts of the board examination will reportedly be held before the December examinations, said Arroyo. She also said that the government will subsidize the cost of the retake.

Bautista said that today's rally is meant to show their opposition to the order of the president, which they have branded as unfair.

He said that board passers in Visayas and Mindanao should not be included in the retake, because they are innocent and are not involved in the alleged leakage of test questions, which is the basis for the order of Arroyo.

"Please Madam (Arroyo), spare the board passers in Visayas and Mindanao, who honestly passed the examination without any form of leakage," he said.

Of the 1,723 board passers here in Cebu, 1,300 have taken their oath, but are still not able to practice the profession owing to the Temporary Restraining Order issued by the Court of Appeals.

The appellate court issued a 60-day TRO on those who have taken their oath in response to the petition filed against the Professional Regulation Commission and the Board of Nursing for the two agencies to invalidate the oath of those that passed the board exams. The case was filed by the presidents of the University of Santo Tomas Nursing Faculty Association, League of Concerned Nurses and Binuklod na Samahan ng mga Student Nurses.

Lawyer and City Councilor Edgardo Labella, who represents the 1,723 Cebu nurses said the president's order is unfair to those, like his clients, that did not cheat in the examinations.

Labella said that in their appeal to the president, they are asking her to wait for the Court of Appeals' decision on the petition to prevent conflict in case the appellate court will rule contrary to Arroyo's order.

The Cebu board passers have formally filed their comment-in-intervention with the Court of Appeals last September 13.

In their official intervention document, the Cebu nurses oppose the contention of the Manila-based nursing associations. They say that the PRC and the Board of Nursing did not act in excess of jurisdiction nor did they commit grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack of jurisdiction when they admitted those who passed the recomputed results of test five of the exams.

The Cebu board passers also said that examinees are innocent victims of the whole controversy and by not allowing them to practice the profession, despite having passed the licensure examinations, is tantamount to depriving them of their right to property without due process of law.

"The examinees here are victims and not culprits, they should not be made to suffer for the indiscretions of a few. The effect of the alleged leakage was not massive to invalidate the same. Examinees in Cebu City did not even know about it until it was published in the National dailies and disseminated on Television" Labella said.

They further contended that those who passed the board exams here in the Philippines are still required to pass the NCLEX and CGFNS examinations among others, before being allowed to practice nursing in other countries.

Labella said he will ask fellow councilor Slyvan Jakosalem to personally fax the letter of appeal to the Malacanang. Jakosalem, who is closely associated with President Arroyo, said he is willing to assist in this matter. The president said a retake would be the best way to restore the integrity of the profession.

"As of now that is the best decision. There is no way to determine who did not participate (in the cheating)," Arroyo explained. - with Ramil V. Ayuman/NLQ