Cebu nurses stage last rally against retake

Cebuano nurses returned to Fuente Osmeña yesterday to stage another rally in what appears to be their last protest action against a retake of the leakage-marred nursing board exams held last June.

While still waiting for the decision of the Court of Appeals on the case, the nurses said they are not giving up the fight because they have not cheated in the exam.

They said it was unfair for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to require them to retake the test, contending that they have not been affected by the leakage. More than 3,300 examinees took the test in Cebu City.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the government "cannot make final action as to the extent of the retake because titingnan natin (we will see) how the CA decision will bear on such decision."

He stressed that details such as who should retake the test and whether it should only be for those who passed the exams would be affected by the CA decision.

However, he reiterated that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has already made a "decision in principle," which is to have all examinees retake the exams in order to restore the integrity of the nursing profession.

He said Malacañang expects the CA to hand down its decision before the next regular board exams in December.

Ermita said the government would fork out P52 million to subsidize the examinations. "We will not let them pay exam fees anymore. The President ordered that we take care of the funds."

Arroyo said earlier that those who passed the exams would have to do the retake of Tests 3 and 5, which are the subject of the leakage. She also said those who failed to undergo the retake will have the option to take the next examinations in December.

Earlier, Mayor Tomas Osmeña offered to use part of the city's calamity fund on Cebuanos who will have to retake the exams as declared by the President.

The mayor plans to give P5,000 as a subsidy to each student who is a registered voter in the city who will undergo the retake

But Bill Neri, who has a 20-year-old son who recently passed the board, said they are opposing the retake. "We refuse the retake because it is an insult to the integrity of our children."

"Punish those who were responsible for the leakage and let those who benefited from the said leakage retake the exam," said Leonides Martel, who has a 20-year-old son who passed the exam. - Jasmin R. Uy