Last night, I was watching TV and there was The Queen's Executive muchacho declaring Malacañang's disgust over a dialogue in the September 30, 2007 episode of "Desperate Housewives."
The character Susan Mayer Delfino said: "Okay, before we go any further, can I check these diplomas? Because I would just like to make sure they are not from some med school in the Philippines."
Malacañang had this coming. For the record, I am not saying that I agree with Susan Mayer Delfino. I am upset. I am incensed. I inked my signature on the petition demanding apology from ABC and Desperate Housewives.
Desperate Housewives must apologize. But Malacanang does not stand on a moral high ground as it demands it. In fact, Malacanang must apologize to Desperate Housewives for feeding it a false information. The derogatory statement is an offshoot of Malacanang's handling or, more appropriately, mishandling of the 2006 nursing exam fraud which was elevated into a scandal of international magnitude.
When examinees and nursing leaders complained to the PRC about the leakage of test questions, it ignored them because their complaint was "not official" even if they presented indubitable evidences of fraud. (Under the PRC Modernization Law, the PRC can investigate examination irregularities on its own without need of a complaint. This it neglected or, rather, refused to do). They filed an official complaint. Without looking into it, PRC issued a statement that there was no cheating. The fraud was cavalierly swept under the rug by the very same agency mandated by law to protect the credibility of licensure tests. The complaint was liberally injected with sleeping pills. The complainants' lawyer had to trade insults with some PRC officials before they finally retrieved the complaint from the slumber box.
Ignoring the complainants' call for the creation of an independent, competent fact-finding body, PRC assumed the task of investigation. The complainants had every reason not to trust it. After all, it precipitately dismissed the allegations of fraud even in the face of compelling evidence.
After resolute follow-ups by the complainants, PRC issued a resolution affirming that the exam was marred by cheating, but declined to pinpoint the culprits. Notably, it cleared itself of any involvement. It also referred the matter to the NBI for determination of the guilty, claiming that it did not have the competence to do it. (But that was why the complainants did not want them to investigate. Its people were evidently incompetent.) PRC Chair Leonor Rosero announced the forthcoming release of the exam result. Alarmed, the complainants wrote a letter asking PRC to adopt as its most urgent agenda the removal of the thick mist of doubt plaguing the test's integrity. In their letter, they warned PRC of more problems as a consequence of a premature release.
It released the results anyway. All hell broke loose. Whereas before, noise was coming from the cold northern mountains, this time it was reverberating from every corner in the country. The leakage became a national scandal. The complainants asked The Queen to step into the fray and reverse the PRC. She retreated into autism (as she often does when it is the small people asking government to do its job). Then the national scandal quickly metamorphosed into a badge of international shame. The Filipino people were polarized over the issue of retake. The "passers," cheaters and non-cheaters alike (There was no way to tell who was what and who was what not.) were attacked by questions on their competence and credibility. Calls for Rosero's resignation mounted. The Queen refused to budge. (It was later found out that Rosero's husband was a powerful PAGCOR guy close to The Queen's FG of AB..ZTE..FG notoriety. Rosero herself was -still is- The Queen's personal dentist. I stopped wondering why Rosero was so durable.)
The complainants -this time, a bigger multitude- went to the Senate. PRC ignored the body citing EO 464. They also went to the Court of Appeals seeking the nullification of the leaked exams and praying for retake.
By golly, the country was chaotic. Only blood and gore were absent to make it a killing field. Examinees, nurses here and abraod, nursing school deans, politicians, parents, students, nursing review centers and other stakeholders were shooting at one another. Someone in the palace was very happy, eager to capitalize on the bedlam to reinforce her illegitimate powers. When the country's berth of patience was saturated with desperation and everyone was praying for a messiah, The Queen stepped out of her ivory tower and shouted, "No retake!" She waited for applause. It was deafeningly loud. She was pleased until she realized that the quarters wanting cleansing through retake had an equally resounding voice. Reversing herself, she hollered, "Retake." More chaos. Realizing that any move she made at that point was political suicide, she declared in her distinctive, androgynous monotone, "I leave the issue to the Court of Appeals." Typical of her. (Shades of Honor the ZTE deal; Withdraw the ZTE deal.) The CA came out with a decision that pleased and displeased the public. Still more chaos. But the heat was off Malacañang; it was on the CA. (The Queen is still living under the rule of the Old Testament. She loves sacrificial lambs.)
While the country was struggling to come to terms with the nursing scandal, more reports of leakage in other licensure tests came out.
The USA, the number 1 absorber of the Philippine nursing labor force, was watching in the sidelines like a hawk. Even it could take so much ineptude. Through the CGFNS, it expressed its disappointment. To make a really long and winding story short, the USA said, "You want to come to the USA? Retake. Your license is valid for purposes of practising in your country, but not here." Haha. It virtually said that the "passers" were a possible menace to the American public's health without passing a retake. How could the Philippine government let them loose in an unsuspecting health service-consuming public? Loud was a veiled albeit sharp rebuke of the Philippine government for its incompetence in handling fraud which made indelible the stigma attending the license of the June 2006 nursing exam passers who would not retake.
Surely, Desperate Housewives owes the Filipino people an apology. But it owes Malacañang nothing. It was Malacañang that gave every reason for some outside quarters to doubt the competence of Philippine graduates of professions providing medical and allied health services. Malacañang should now apologize to the medical profession for making them vulnerable to undeserved slander and racial slur.
Again, I salute the examinees and nursing leaders who did not waver in their search for justice no matter how elusive it was. It was a long journey. It was a tiring journey. It was a disappointing journey. But to have begun it was a noble quest.
x------------------------x
(You may be interested to read an analysis of the scandal by me and UST Prof. Rene Tadle, published by the Manila Times in October 2006:
25 comments:
Abah, the Executive Secretary and malacanang are crying foul. This is the same secretary who said one of our kailian cannot be a NBI Director coz he is an Igorot. Chill out, don't divert more important issues hounding your administration.
I for one, wasn't offended by the actress's remarks: part of the remark was "some med school in the Philippines". Nothing wrong with that! Some Med School meaning those "just for profits" schools that are sprouting all over the islands with no credibility or credentials!
When the Philippine Movie Industry makes fun of it's own Indigenous
people which was done 100 hundred times over, they rarely apologize.
Take the case of Asian Treasures.
Or the peeing Igorot statue in a Baguio Resto. Never heard of our key politicians came to the rescue in this regard. Only concerned internet bloggers led by the relentless Bill Bilig of From the Boondocks was sole reason that the caricature was removed.
If I was ABC Network, I will not issue an apology. On the other hand, if Ms Hatcher's line was "some med school in India", the same people from Malacanang on down to the street sweeper who were quick to the draw to criticize will be laughing out loud
and would say "nothing wrong with that"!
Stop the drama, and stop the crying.
Trublue, I agree that Malacañang is using the issue to divert the public eye away from the deep s__t The Queen and her husband are into.
I know there are some diploma mills in the Philippines and this is because of The Queen's liberalization policy. As I said in Bill Bilig's blog a few months back, nursing schools increased by 100 percent from 2003 to 2006. And the non-performing schools which should have been shut down years ago are still operating.
How about those scandals involving board exams not only in nursing but as well in medicine (a few years ago), engineering (last year) and physical therapy (just this year)?
So Desperate Housewives had basis.
The problem is by DH's mere reference to "some schools," all schools became suspect to the international audience.
In the guilt weighing scale, The Queen's kingdom's fault weighs heavier than DH's. DH has an excuse ("But it was proven that cheating did happen in medical fileds.") Malacanang has none.
So it should not exloit the medical profession's tragedy which it authored!
Desperate Housewives must apologize, but not to Malacañang.
Thank you for providing the link to the petition.
Disclaimer: I've never seen Desperate Housewives, but have read and heard about the show's storylines (the show is primarily about infidelity, it seems).
Mng. Chyt, based on your reasoning, Malacanang gave US society reason that Philippine schools are not that great. On that point, I agree.
However, I don't think the producers of Desperate Housewives owe Filipinos an apology. For one thing, the show is horrible, like a lot of shows on TV. The uttered slur is to be expected from horrible shows. There's a reason why TV is called a wasteland. This show is an example, even before the insulting lines were uttered by Hatcher's character. If it were not for channels like Discovery, History Channel, PBS, I would recommend that people chuck their TVs out the window. The fact that people even watch this show is beyond me. There is nothing redeeming about this show. The slur just proves my point. Second point: Hatcher's character unfortunately reflects how some in the US view Philippine schools. Even if that episode were not aired, there are those who will always look down upon persons educated in the "Third World." I agree that the slur is offensive, but then again, that's to be expected from a show whose characters have low moral standards and low intelligence. The solution: don't watch Desperate Housewives because it's a horrible show even before this slur incident. WAtch Discovery Channel instead. :)
Wil, I am not familiar with DH. Thanks for the home truths about the idiot box. I could not agree more.
What you shared makes me all the more want an apology from DH. How dare a show whose characters have low moral standards and low intelligence insult us? But now that you tell me what kind of a show DH is, I know that an apology from it won't really change the world and won't really mean much. And to press for apology from non-show is to stoop down to its level.
Now I realize that when Malacanang tried to extort an apology, it did not have to stoop down. The ground was levelled.
Seriously, while I feel that ABC should be made to account for the slur, Malacanang has no right to demand it. It is a party to the slander. It created the image that inspired the Hatcher statement.
Cheers.
Great behind the scenes story! I've always wondered what happened sa PRC. So apparently this Rosero was so sure of herself because she was GMA's dentist.
I agree that the government has more important things to do than protesting what characters are saying on TV shows. Sa kadami dami ng problema sa Pilipinas iyon pa ang inaatupag nila.
But don't get me wrong, I also agree that Desperate Housewives should be held accountable. However, government officials have more important things to do. Asan ang priorities nila?
Ahahahahaha... I really liked the way you wrote about GMA's ever-changing decisions =)
As usual, ta maiyaw-awan ti adu nga incompetencies da ket they will ride on issues like Desperate Housewives.
The denunciation by Malacañang of Desperate Housewives is truly intended to divert the public's attention from the scandals involving the First Family. Worse things have been done to Filipinos during the reign of Chyt's The Queen and they overlooked such affronts. Why is Malacanang suddenly sensitive over a comment which as Chyt said was inspired by Malacanang's mishandling of the nursing leakage?
I believe you, Chyt because you represented the whistleblowers. It must have been tough dealing with the Queen and her muchachos y muchachas.
Bill, the government has no business holding Desperate Housewives accountable. The show is accountable to the sector it maligned and the Filipino nation. Malacanang is excluded. Taray, ano?
Layad, thanks for the visit. How else do we describe GMA's flip-flopping? Very typical of her.
The Judge, I agree there. Worse calumny has befallen the Filipino nation and GMA's admin was never as indignant as it now wants to appear. Yes, for the record, it was tough. At times, we would even cry. Cyndi Erfe, a leader of examinee complainants said with a heavy sigh, "I did not know it was this difficult to fight for justice," during an interview with the Probe Team.
Ha, ha, ha. I like how you described The Queen. I gather from Layad that she is GMA, the Philippine president? I find your description of her actions amusing.
Surely, the gentle Filipino people do not deserve to be led by someone like her. This is my opinion.
so that's where the dh writers got the idea for the philippine-med-school line. didn't know desperate housewives could be so socially relevant.
Viktoria, what an opinion. It is non-debatable. Thanks for the visit.
Pat, the nursing leakage became an international scandal. Even in the US and other countries, it was much talked about. As counsel for the complainants, I received word from many quarters in the world. I am just glad that among the shows in America, it seems only DH learned about it. What if it was picked up by CSI or the other shows with a wide audience? Bangladesh would shun us. :-)
Thanks for visiting. By the way, I peeped into your blog. I read the lates entry dealing with homosexuality. Thumbs up. Will read some more.
Reading this makes you think the president should rather be a housewife.
The take and re-take thing is a shame being the significant decision maker. Now I know why my father really hates her.
Scary lunatic desperate housewife she would be. HINDI kami magkakavibes as a result to-"opposite poles attract or like poles repel" hihihi...
Lovelyn, are you saying that you are like GMA? Hey, do not do that to yourself. That is a good as self-flagellation. :-}
Scary lunatic desperate housewives I can take anytime. But not her. Not her.
Hahaha...in height for sure. What a dreadful thought to be like her, such a gruesome self-inflected punishment indeed :-)
From. UST Prof Zenaida Famorca (via email):
Hi, Chyt. You're right in all these. I haven't seen your pretty face for a loooong time. Miss you. Best regards.
(I did not edit Ma'am Famorca's email. That's the good thing about having your own blog. You can say, "Good morning, Myself" anytime you feel like it. By the way, Ma'am Famorca was one of the nursing leaders of the crusade against cheating in the nursing exams.)
From Mary Carling, artist (via email)
That was an inspiring statement... nothing really happens to people's petitions but the courage to file cases won't make this country hopeless....
While I tend to agree with all of your post, this petition about the issue of DH makes me do so many back steps. Just can't agree with most of you having mulled it and burnt a lot of midnight oil. I take solace though that I'm not alone in my resolve.
Is Prof ZF a daughther of Lillian and Ric Famorca? She seems familiar. Cheers! and goodhealth as well!................
Hello, Trublue, what Mary and I and Prof Famorca were referring to was the petition filed by examinees and nursing leaders in relation to the 2006 nursing leakage. The first complaint asked the government to investigate and punish the guilty and restore the exam's credibility and the nursing profession's integrity. I really burnt a lot of midnight oil over the nursing issue, being the lawyer of the ones who exposed the leakage.
Over Desperate Housewives, I really did not burn any midnight oil but I signed the petition. Of course, my signature is qualified. I said also said that the government may be blamed for that unfortunate FH dialogue.
Cheers and good health, too.
Trublue, I forgot to answer your question on Prof. Famorca. No, she is not a daughter of Mr. Ric Famorca but her husband is related to the latter.
This is an excellent analysis of the Desperate Housewifes issue.
Keep on writing Chyt. Everytime we read you we learn so much. -MUC
Thanks, MUC. I will.
Keep dropping by.
If DH owes an apology to the Filipinos, then I guess it's logical to say that most Filipinos, the media especially owe many apologies to the Visayans, Chinese, Igorots, Itas, maids, janitor, people who did not pass the standard of beauty in the Philippines(as if kasalanan nila), dark skinned people -- for inflicting discrimination against them.
That's how hypocritical Pinoy entertainment media is. Whoever are handpicked to be judges on these events swear to the almighty they're unbiased but the writing is on wall.
Remember when filipinos used to pride itself about being a "kayumanggi". Now, dark skinned beauties are into this skin whitening business to improve daw their image. Yeah, they have Michael Jackson to thank for and sick as ever.
Very ill concept to upgrade one's persona, and as Surfer Wil says: to each his/her own. Cheers to you Anonymous 5:48 and to all....
Anonymous 5:45,
Well said. But a point about Igorots - actually, if the standard of beauty of the world is the fair-skinned woman with rosy cheeks, it has it in the Igorot girl. That the Igorots are ugly is a stereotype.
Trublue,
Yes, Trublue, let us put down the cosmetic industry which insists that whitening is the way to go. I have a poem Cosmetics about how the industry is making profit from the propagation of lies. Hmmm. Nice blog topic.
Michael Jackson- the worst racist in the world. In the 1990s, when Pepsi Cola wanted to do an ad featuring the young Michael as a boy singing I'll Be There, thousands of black boys auditioned for the part. In the end, the pedophile chose a white boy.
It is bad when you suffer oppression in the hands of outsiders. It is worse when your oppressor is one of you.
Post a Comment