Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella yesterday slammed the persons alleging that there was widespread leakage of the June nursing licensure examination, which he called "unsubstantiated claims" at the expense of 17,000 students who passed the NLE.

The solon was referring to the allegations made by board reviewer Joel Dumdum and Rene Tadle, president of the Faculty Association of the University of Santo Tomas College of Nursing.

These innuendo peddlers should not be taken seriously because they are subjecting the fate of 17,000 passers to a trial by publicity, he said. He said Dumdum had backed down on his claims after the damage had been done. The people making the allegations without any proof are the ones who are flip-flopping, he said.

The solon said he was informed that the National Bureau of Investigation was not able to submit it report yesterday on its inquiry into the alleged leaks. So he doubts that President Gloria Arroyo and the Cabinet will decide on whether the passers should retake portions of the NLE at a Cabinet meeting today, he said.

Lawyer Elfren Meneses, NBI anti-fraud chief, said they did not have a report yet because more evidence was being gathered and more witnesses want to testify.

He assured that the final result of their inquiry would be released before October 15 Meanwhile, Puentevella said he is urging the passers and their supporters to come out and continue to make their voices heard against the retake, especially at today's mass actions.

Passers of the June NLE and their parents are staging another protest against a retake at the Capitol Lagoon Park in Bacolod City 9 a.m. today as part of a nationwide mass action. The president earlier said she was ordering a retake of tests 3 and 5 in the light of reports of a leak in the questions but later held back on issuing it until a further study by Labor Secretary Arturo Brion could be conducted.

The protest today is being staged in the hope that the President and the Cabinet members will hear our voices before they decide on the matter, parent Rodrigo Tinsay said.

Tinsay said the claims of massive leaks in the test questions are baseless allegations that have not been proven, meanwhile the nursing graduates who worked hard to pass are the ones being made to suffer.

He said they were informed that the Cabinet is set to deliberate on whether to order a retake or not during a meeting this afternoon.

We are urging all those joining the protest today to wear black, Tinsay said. All the nursing passers concerned and their families should join the protest so the decision makers in Manila will see that a lot are against a retake, he said.*CPG

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