No retake for nursing board passers, punishment for leakage masterminds

Understanding the plight of parents and students who are deeply affected by the June 2006 Nursing Board Exam fiasco, labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) asserted its position of 'no retake' for nursing board passers. KMU directed this assertion to Labor Secretary Arturo Brion who was tasked by Malacanang to resolve the issue.

"The 17,000 nursing board passers and their families must not be made to suffer the consequences of the wrongdoings of a handful of opportunists and cheaters who corrupted the Nursing Board Exams. Secretary Brion for his part must work exhaustively to give closure to
this issue."

"This issue has caused severe emotional and financial distress for nursing board passers, their parents and families. This issue must not drag on and should be resolved immediately. The quality and integrity of Filipino nurses cannot be questioned. Government data puts the number of Filipino registered nurses working abroad at 300,000. Filipino healthcare workers are preferred all over Europe, North America and Asia. Sad but true, Filipino nurses opt to go abroad for work due to low-paying jobs available in our public hospitals."

Instead of further distressing the nursing board passers and their families with flippant and wavering decisions, the government must focus on going after the masterminds of the nursing board exam leakage. "Thorough investigations must continue and no one must be spared, even those involved who have connections with higher government officials. We also encourage other witnesses with information about the leakage to come forward and help in the immediate resolution of case," said KMU Chairman Elmer Labog.

The group said that the exposed leakage incident is but a reflection of how Arroyo's massive cheating in the 2004 presidential elections had corrupted the moral fiber of the Philippine society. "Arroyo's cheating is backfiring on her. If the President can cheat her way to power then even common people are emboldened to initiate daring acts of dishonesty and corruption."