Palace appeals for patience from nursing groups threatening lawsuits

Malacañang appealed yesterday to nursing organizations for patience and understanding after they threatened to sue Labor Secretary Arturo Brion and other government officials for blocking the oath-taking of new nursing graduates who were not included in the order of the Court of Appeals (CA) to retake the recent leakage-tainted board examinations.

Presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor issued the statement after the newly formed Alliance of New Nurses (ANN) announced over the weekend that it is preparing to file damage suits against Brion, Commission on Filipinos Overseas chairman Dante Ang and others who asked the CA to order the retake of the licensure exams by all examinees after the June tests were tainted by the alleged leakage of questions.

"The policy of Malacañang is very clear: We must protect the integrity of the nursing profession, especially in the eyes of the international community," Defensor said in a telephone interview. "The move to postpone — not stop — the oath-taking is for the benefit of all," he added.

"Let us not drag the issue out just because we were slightly inconvenienced. Secretary Brion’s decision is for all nurses and for the protection of the image of the Philippine nursing profession," Defensor said.

He added that Brion’s order to stop the oath-taking was not in conflict with the CA ruling.

Former Senator and lawyer Rene Saguisag, who is helping ANN, said Palace officials are giving the new nurses "false hopes" and "toying with the emotions of the people" in allegedly defying the CA order and issuing contradictory statements.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita earlier announced that the oath-taking announced by Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) chairwoman Leonor Rosero would be suspended until the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the PRC have come up with a final list of examinees who should retake the tests, especially those who were proven to have benefited from the leakage of questions.

The CA earlier ruled that board passers, except for 1,687 who were believed to have benefited from the leakage of questions, would be allowed to take their oaths.

Ermita said the CA ruling will be final and executory only for 15 days after it was handed down and added that, by then, the NBI would have a final list of examinees who should retake the tests.

Defensor said that the government will push through with the oath-taking, as well as the examinations retake, before the next scheduled nursing board examinations in December.

He also said the government is also shelling out funds so that those who should retake the tests will not have to spend any more money.

He also called for support for Brion’s efforts to ask the CA to lead conciliation efforts among all stakeholders so the controversy will not return to the courts and for there to be a final closure on the matter. — Paolo Romero