GMA keeps changing her mind, says nursing board topnotcher

DAGUPAN CITY — The topnotcher in the controversial June 2006 nursing board examinations said yesterday he is disgusted with the announcement of President Arroyo that examinees should retake the test.

Gringo San Diego, a cum laude graduate of University of Pangasinan who is based here and who hails from Mangaldan town, told The STAR yesterday that "the President keeps on changing her mind."

San Diego said he was dismayed because "parang pinaasa lang niya kami (it is like she just made us hope)." Mrs. Arroyo earlier rejected calls for new exams.

He recalled that Mrs. Arroyo had earlier said it was up to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to decide whether the nursing exam should be retaken.

The PRC had decided there would be no retake of the test. San Diego said he and the other examinees lauded this move and are now waiting for the result of the case pending before the Court of Appeals suspending their oath-taking until the scandal is resolved.

San Diego, 20, also expressed shock over Mrs. Arroyo’s decision: "Nakakabigla, hindi namin inaasahan ang ganoong desisyon. Parang pinaasa kami sa wala (it took us aback, we were not expecting this decision. It’s like they got our hopes up for nothing)."

"Nakakainsulto ang ginagawa nila (What they are doing is insulting)," San Diego said.

He added that the President should respect the decision of the PRC and avoid changing her decision or she will lose credibility: "She should be firm with her decision."

He said it is unfair to make the examinees who were not involved in the leakage scandal retake the exam and added that he will have to review for the test on his own: "Self-review na lang kasi wala akong pera pang-review sa review center (I’ll just have to self-review because I have no more money to review at a review center)."

"Why punish the innocent examinees? It should be the masterminds behind the leakage who should be punished," San Diego said.

While he said he can’t do anything but retake the exams, San Diego added that he will just do his best in the retake, though he cannot promise that he will retain the number one slot.

San Diego’s father, Rodolfo, said he, too, was dismayed by the President’s decision: "Isipin natin yung panahon, yung effort ng mga bata na nagsumikap na mag-aral para lang makapasa (Let’s think of the time spent, the effort these kids put into studying just to pass)."

"Whoever has done wrong, those are the people who should be punished," the elder San Diego said, adding that his son is an honest man.

While waiting for the resolution of the controversy, the younger San Diego helps out in the family business, a backyard piggery, because he hasn’t taken his oath yet and has no license to practice nursing.

Lyceum Northwestern University president Dr. Gonzalo Duque told The STAR in a separate interview that he welcomes the retake but with certain reservations.

The Lyceum Northwestern University is based in Dagupan City and has produced three other nursing students who landed in the nursing exam’s top 10 list — two eighth placers and one ninth placer.

Duque, who is also the first vice president of the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU), said there is a case in court regarding the nursing exams, which may preempt the President’s order for a retake of the test.

He urged the government to come up with a win-win solution, saying that while the President’s intentions may be good, there are people who might be gravely affected by a retake of the exam.

He suggested that exam repeaters be treated as first timers and that the PRC should refrain from giving a rating, so that no school or entities will benefit from these ratings.

"It’s either your mark is passed or failed because when you get your license, people will not call you, say for instance attorney Duque 95," he said. — Eva Visperas, Cesar Ramirez