Thursday, January 31, 2008 Prove exam anomalies: students to PRC chief
ABOUT 30 rallyists, including a group of civil engineering students trooped to the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) 7 and dared OIC-Director Dan Malayang to prove that there was irregularity in the recent board exam.
Aaron Pedrosa of Sanlakas said it is the duty and obligation of the PRC regional office to tell the truth about the examination.
If there was an anomaly, then PRC 7 must produce proof and tell us how it happened. If there was none, then PRC 7 must also tell the people that there was no irregularity, Pedro said.
Malayang refused to comment, saying he might be held liable for subjudice because the case is already pending in court.
Protection
Laura Geraldez, an engineering student, said it is sad to note that PRC failed to protect the interest of the examinees in Central Visayas.
Jasper Olivar, who studied engineering in Cebu, said that before they took the exam, their shoes were even taken away.
The students formed the Civil Engineering Against Retake Students’ Union (CE AGRESSION) and filed a petition last Dec. 3 as a response to the PRC announcement nullifying the two subjects in the November 2007 licensure examination allegedly due to some irregularities.
According to PRC, in the subject of Hydraulics and Geotechnical Engineering, the results were “statistically improbable” due to the unusually high grades obtained by the examinees in the said exam.
In the Structural Engineering and Construction subject, two examinees were caught in possession of mobile phones, one of which contains answers to 30 questions wherein 21 were found to be correct.
In their position paper, CE AGRESSION said, “It’s not an issue of passing or failing. It is an issue of are you a cheater or not. It is not an issue of intelligence but rather that of integrity.”
High grades
A Sanlakas press statement said that during a dialogue last Dec. 6, the PRC confirmed that there are no irregularities in Hydraulics and Geotechnical engineering but stated that the unusual high grades is an irregularity by itself.
The CE AGRESSION stands firm that PRC did a great injustice, unfairness and immeasurable damage not only to CE examinees of November 2007 but also to all practicing and would be civil engineers and other professionals. (EOB)
