accept the futility

The news early this evening said that a group of officials and the representative of the june 2006 nursing board takers have flown to the US to appeal the decision of the CGFNS denying the said batch of board examinees the visa screen certificates, which would enable them to work as nurses in the US. I think it is futile to appeal said decision because discretion lies on the hands of the officials of the CGFNS. They do not trust the competency of those who passed the june 2006 exams because of the leak and it is their right and their duty to deny said visa screen to those who have questionable competency. It is unfair really to those who passed the board exams fair and square, but the reality brought about by the leak is undeniable, whether they cheated or not is already beside the point, they are part of that batch where some cheaters tainted the credibility of the fair passers, nothing much could be done now but to retake the board exams to remove that stigma. The chairperson of the PRC quoted that the Philippines will not undertake such re-examination because the US cannot dictate to the Philippines what it has to do. But I think the honorable chairperson has totally missed the idea of the administrative functions of the CGFNS. The CGFNS is not suggesting said retake for the examinees to become full pledged nurses, but rather suggests that a retake is proper for the said examinees to be able to get the visa screen certificate. In all perspective, those passers are now nurses and they can now practice their profession in the Philippines, and perhaps in other countries other than the US. Should they really want to work in the US then they have to comply with the requirements set by the US agency tasked to provide permits to nurses educated abroad. In as much as the US cannot dictate to the Philippines what needs to be done, the Philippines cannot beg an administrative agency to reconsider its decision based solely on its discretion. Not even a court order denying the motion for mandamus asking that the licenses issued to all the examinees, which was affirmed by the Supreme Court only due to technicality, be annulled, could ever dispel the fear of the CGFNS on the credibility of the June 2006 board passers. Again its rather unfortunate to the fair passers, but as Jim Carrey used to say in Bruce Almighty, that is how the cookie crumbles.

Post script: on the lighter perspective, the denial of the CGFNS to issue the visa screen certificates is a blessing in disguise for the Philippines since said Board passers could not work in the US they are left with the choice to work here instead, in which, they are regarded as legitimate nurses (I do not share the same belief). It is good for the Philippines since we are already in dire need of nurses, and I think, before serving other nationalities, one must first serve his countryman.