Certainly one of the most riveting issues these days is the controversy over the fate of the Nursing Licensure Examinees in the June 2006 elections. While the Court of Appeals came out with a ruling for a partial retake, meaning only those in Baguio and Manila , it remains to be seen if this will be the last word on the issue. Without a doubt, this is a triumph for all the examinees and their families who passed the exam fair and square. As they have correctly pointed out, they should not be punished for the sins of those who cheated. Of course, finding the guilty ones is easier said than done. In a country where cover-up has become an art, there are limitless opportunities for law-breakers to evade accountability. True, there are cases and complaints filed every now and then but they somehow get lost on the way to the final verdict. And so while Ninoy's widow got to serve an extended term in office, justice remains elusive to him. In fact, Ninoy's assassination has become a classic example that even the rich and the powerful can be deprived of justice in this country.

In recent memory, there is the late, unlamented impeachment case filed against Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. By sheer weight of numbers, the case gets tossed out of the window every time by her mindless minions, the evidences to her alleged wrongdoings swiftly trashed without seeing the light of day. It would however be a very welcome development if the culprits of this latest caper would be made an exception. It would make people sit up and wonder that things can actually turn up right in this country - occasionally that is. That would be a long shot of course. If one reads the body language of the President, how she flip-flopped on the issue, shows just how much pressure she is made to bear. If there was none, there would be no need for the vacillation.

The closure of this issue however is only the beginning of the careers of the successful nurses. Given the circumstances that they had to go through, they should be inspired enough to reflect (if not meditate) on its significance. Most Filipinos have given up on this country and there is little optimism that the number of cynical Filipinos will be significantly diminished. It is up to the nurses in this special batch however to come out and prove that they indeed deserve a special niche because they went through the fire. Whether they serve in this country, which should be the case, or elsewhere, which most of them are expected to do, matters little for as long as they live up to the noble calling of a profession that they have committed themselves to. After all, life is merely the result of the choices that we make.