PRC ordered to suspend nurses' oath-taking

By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, Veronica Uy
INQ7.net
Last updated 05:52pm (Mla time) 10/16/2006

(2ND UPDATE) THE PROFESSIONAL Regulation Commission (PRC) has been ordered to suspend administering the oaths to new nurses and issuing their licenses pending a final decision by the Court of Appeals on its ruling for a "selective retake" of the June board exam.

"I have directed the PRC to refrain from administering the oaths and issuing licenses at this time when the decision [of the Appellate Court] is not yet final. The decision has not been served at this point," said Labor Secretary Arturo Brion, who has been given control and supervision of the PRC by Malacañang following reports that this year's nursing licensure tests had been leaked to the examinees.

Brion said his order was in effect "for as long as the decision has not reached its finality."

Earlier in the day, Malacañang, through Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, announced a similar directive after meeting with Brion and Solicitor General Eduardo Nachura.

At the same time, Ermita said Brion would "try to exert efforts at conciliation" with stakeholders who might appeal the court decision.

Nursing groups protesting the Appellate Court's ruling have sought a motion for reconsideration.

"I hear that there are motions for reconsiderations to be filed. As a general rule, we don't implement decisions that are not yet final and unless otherwise directed by the courts," Brion said, adding that proceeding with the oath-taking might "cause legal complications."

Brion and Ermita said that court decisions normally take effect 15 days after they have been served to the parties.

"But that 15-day period stops when a motion for reconsideration is filed," Brion explained.

Brion said he had asked the Appellate Court to conciliate and mediate among the parties involved in the case so that "we can close this affair and the examinees can move on."

Brion said he was for a partial retake of the June nursing board exam and admitted that he had sent a letter to the Court of Appeals "wherein I suggested that a limited retake of the licensure examination be allowed."

However, Brion refused to explain his proposal, saying only that it would provide a "win-win" solution to the scandal.

"I have met with those who are in favor of retaking and those who are not and I could sense that there is a middle ground position that almost all will accept, and this is the limited retake," he said.

"The initiative is with [the Court of Appeals]. Mine is only an appeal. The playing field is now with the Court of Appeals," he said of the request he filed at noon Monday.

Brion said the court had a special unit that handled such cases.

Ermita said the National Bureau of Investigation has been asked to submit to the Department of Labor and Employment a list of those who enrolled in the Gapuz, Inress and Pentagon review centers so that this could be matched with the list of those who passed.

The three centers are being investigated after being linked to the leakage in the board exam.

Amid the investigation, Ermita said the 1,687 students whom the court had ordered to retake tests 3 and 5, where the alleged leaked questions came from, could go higher.

"We are trying to identify who attended the last session in these three review centers who may have passed and therefore if it is determined that they are not yet in that 1,687 then they will also be ordered to retake only on tests 3 and 5," Ermita said.

Ermita also said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would accept the resignation of the members of the Board of Nursing of the PRC, which had supervised the tests. He said Brion had a list of replacements for the board.

He said the new members would supervise the retake and the regular nursing exams when these are given on December 2 and 3.

As to PRC chairperson Leonor Rosero, Ermita called on her anew to stop issuing statements so as not to muddle the situation.

He said Brion has yet to recommend what action to take against Rosero.