MANGALDAN, Pangasinan - The topnotch examinee of the 2006 Nursing Licensure Examination (NLE) hailed the order of the Court of Appeals for the selective retaking of Tests III and V in the NLE by 1,678 examinees.

Twenty-year old Gringo Sandiego, a graduate of the University of Pangasinan and a native of barangay Amansabina here, said he was satisfied by the order which means he can finally take his oath, get his license and move on.

The 1,678 examinees who will take Tests III and IV, according to the CA order, were those whose names were merely added to the unaltered list of 41.24 percent who actually passed the June 11 and 12 NLE.

In the same, the Appellate Court also ordered the PRC “to cause the issuance of licenses to all the 41.24 percent successful examinees which had been reconstituted”.

But the order is without prejudice to the revocation of licenses issued to examinees who may eventually be identified as among those who attended the final coaching sessions of Gapuz, Inress and Pentagon review centers.

Sandiego, a son of an accountant turned taxi driver-operator, said he will not be affected because he took his review at the Review University for Nursing located in Sta. Mesa, Manila which was not involved in the leakage issue.

“I am happy, very happy because after four months of being in limbo, I can now get my license and move on,” said Sandiego who plans to seek employment in a hospital in Manila.

Sandiego said he shares the happiness with his parents and siblings who stood by his side when there were calls that all the 2006 NLE passers would repeat the test.

“Now we can move on as soon as we get our respective licenses,” said Sandiego, who - only days ago - led a prayer rally and vigil at the Dagupan City Plaza to express their disenchantment on the earlier call that they retake the examination.

In the prayer-rally, Archbishop Cruz of the Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese celebrated the mass and went on to support the stand of the rallyists for “no retake”.

Although the order of the appellate court is still appealable, Sandiego believes that CA had enough basis in its order calling for selective retake of the NLE.