N. Mindanao nurses urged: Go to high court

Sunstar Cagayan
By Lizanilla J. Amarga

IF ALL else fails, 2006 nursing licensure examinees from Northern Mindanao can take President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's "retake order" to the Supreme Court, Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Misamis Oriental former chapter president Manuel Ravanera said Thursday.

A parent of one of the June 2006 nursing exam passers said Arroyo is "pre-empting" the Court of Appeals (CA) in ruling out this aspect of the case filed by the University of Sto. Thomas (UST).

Other parents voiced their surprise over Arroyo's sudden decision to order a retake for all examinees who took the exams in June.

In an interview, Ravanera said Northern Mindanao examinees have several options but the first would be to write Arroyo a letter asking her to "revoke" her first order that they would now be required to "retake" another exam.

"They can write her (Arroyo) a plea to revoke her retake order especially here in Mindanao where we believe that there was no leakage," he said.

Earlier, Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) regional director Estrella Malik said there is no evidence that the Nursing Licensure Examination leakage for the examination reached the Northern Mindanao region considering that there were only a mere 42 percent who passed the exam from this area.

"Dito sa atin malinis naman and they really worked hard for it," she had said.

Ravanera said these Northern Mindanao examinees who believe that they should no longer be made to retake the exams as they have already passed can take Arroyo's retake order to the Supreme Court.

He said they can file a case of "declaratory relief" to stay the retake order issued by Arroyo.

"This for their rights to be declared as board passers," he said. "But They would have to first toe the line and write her that letter."

Another option Ravenera said could be joining the calls for impeachment against Arroyo as the "retake order" was an "arbitrary use of her powers."

"It does not mean that because Arroyo is president she can do everything she pleases," he said.

Meanwhile, several parents voiced their contempt on Arroyo's "sudden flip-flopping" on the June Nursing Licensure Examinations.

They said earlier they did heave sighs of relief when the PRC took the "no retake" stand when reports of a leakage and cheating broke out.

"But then we should not be surprised she herself declared she will no longer run but then changed her mind and ran," one parent who requested anonymity said.

RJ Esling, the father of Meliza Marie Esling who passed the exams, said a retake is "really unfair to those who passed the recent nursing board exam, more so for Northern Mindanao examinees."

"My daughter Meliza Marie Esling is among them who passed on their own merit and without the benefit of any leakage," he said.

"GMA's order is absurd noting that previously she backed the no retake stand of the PRC. Executive Secretary Ermita also previously told media a retake is unfair to the honest passers. She's pre-empting the case on this issue pending at the Court of Appeals."