A student of West Negros College yesterday called the threat of the Professional Regulation Commission and Board of Nursing officials to file charges a "desperate face-saving move" after having to agree to release the board examination results of all 599 WNC nursing examines at a budget hearing of the House of Representatives.

Nelia Gonzales, lawyer of her 145 WNC nursing classmates from Iloilo, was reacting to the statement of PRC chairperson Leonor Rosero and Board of Nursing chairperson Eufemia Octaviano, that the release of the results will be without prejudice to the filing of charges against the examinees and the WNC College of Nursing dean, Zenaida Hilado, by the PRC.

Gonzales said it was very clear at the congressional hearing Wednesday that Rosero had committed to release the examination results of all the 599 WNC nursing graduates before March 2 and allow them to take their oaths as nurses.

Rosero agreed that the examination results of all 599 students would be released irregardless of the number of units and Related Learning Experiences the 599 nursing students took per semester, Gonzales said.

Gonzales also said that while anything can happen between now and March 2, if the PRC and BON renege on their commitment, they can ask the House of Representatives to cite them in contempt.

Gonzales, along with WNC Vice President Ernesto Arbolario and nursing dean Zenaida Hilado, met with the media and the WNC nursing graduates yesterday afternoon to brief them on what had happened at the budget hearing Wednesday.

Asked if they would file suits for damages against the PRC and BON officials, Gonzales said that if they do not release their examination results they will be forced to fight back.

As to the reported PRC threat to revoke the license of Hilado, Gonzales said it is not only Hilado who has a license, the commissioners of the PRC and BON also have licenses that can also be revoked.

She also said PRC can not threaten to close down WNC or its nursing program because it does not have the authority to do so. It is only the Commission on Higher Education that has the power, authority and jurisdiction to close down the nursing program, she said.

And it is the Securities and Exchange Commission and the regular counts that can order the closure of a school, not the PRC, she added.

"The PRC is trying to harass and intimidate us by threatening to file raps. They are trying to save face after they were embarrassed yesterday (Wednesday) in our presence at the budget hearing," Gonzales said.

"PRC and BON are becoming more desperate and frustrated because they cannot still accept the fact that they are in for a revamp," she added.

Meanwhile, PRC Regional Director Lily Ann Baldago said PRC officials were meeting in Tagaytay yesterday and among the matters tackled was the WNC case.

She said the plan to file charges against the WNC nursing dean and students is "not a face saving move, we know what we are doing."

She, however, did not say what the charges to be filed would be.

Gonzales said that at the budget hearing, CHED chairman Carlito Puno said that there was regularity in the performance of the WNC nursing school, and that the CHED found the WNC examinees qualified to take the exam.

Puno did not attribute any bad faith to the school, she said. He also did not attribute any illegal actions to the dean on the overloading issue, she added.

On Monday the BON issued Resolution No. 14, Series of 2006, allowing the release of board examination results of WNC nursing graduates who had taken only 35 units and below, and only one Related Learning Experience a semester.

In her letter to Puno Tuesday, Octaviano said that, under Resolution No. 14, only four WNC examinees qualified for the release of their results, two of whom passed and two failed.

BON is trying to mislead us as the two who passed, identified as Reyna Alcala Mendoza and Tisha Mei Peñaranda Pulmones, are not in the 599 withheld list, Gonzales said.

"I cannot imagine how sensitive matters such as names cannot be handled with reasonable care and diligence by BON," she added.

Meanwhile, Hilado said the CHED has not issued new guidelines yet to address so-called subject overloading at the WNC nursing school, which she said had been allowed by the commission.

She reiterated that under CHED Order NO. 147 Series of 2001, overloading is delegated by CHED to the higher education institutions. This circular has authorized the dean of the school to approve overloads of students, subject sequencing, substitution and accreditations of units earned, she pointed out. She said this means that other WNC nursing students in lower years with subjects beyond 30 units do not violate any rule, and if CHED issues new guidelines it will take effect in school year 2006-2007 and not retroactively.

Gonzales said that no congressman from Negros Occidental was present at the budget hearing where Rosero committed to release the examination results.*CPG

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