Napolcom, PRO-7 clear 18 cops of exam fraud

The National Police Commission-7 clarified that the 18 police officers in Central Visayas whose names have earlier been implicated in massive cheating during the 2011 PNP Entrance Exams have been cleared for duty.

In a press release, Police Regional Office in Region-7 has acknowledged that these police officers have been cleared by Napolcom.

“No police officer from PRO–7 is included in the list of PNP personnel who were dismissed by the Napolcom due to their involvement on the said fraud,” read the press release.

In a press conference, Napolcom-7 Regional Director Homer Mariano Cabaral said that of the 387 police officers named in the cheating controversy, only two were invalidated from taking the entrance exam after it was proven that they cheated.

The 18 police officers were among the 387 names submitted earlier by Napolcom-7 to PNP headquarters only for validation whether they were involved in the cheating or not.

Further, Cabaral said that had all 387 examinees been found guilty of cheating, they would have been banned from taking the exam for a period of three years only.

Cabaral explained that when the examination took place on April 17, 2011, a memorandum was circulated pertaining to the 387 examinees who allegedly cheated after an analysis of the score patterns was conducted and showed that 50-100 percent of their wrong and correct answers matched.

He said it was impossible for the percentage to reach that high since most statistical probability of the wrong and correct answers to match, could only reach as high as 25 percent.

A copy of the resolution was relayed by the Napolcom office to the media, indicating that results of the PNP Entrance Examination on April 17, 2011 was invalidated, due to statistical improbability of homogeneity of patterns or wrong answers.

The document further stipulated that Napolcom received reports that testing centers in Jolo, Zamboanga City, Koronadal City and Pagadian City, were the main sources of the cheating.

A year after the examination, Napolcom commissioners circulated a memorandum to invalidate the results and barred the 387 names from taking the examinations for three years.

According to Cabaral, the 18 personnel being implicated may have taken the entrance examination again since they were only barred for three years and six years have already passed since.

The list of the police officers being implicated included seven from Bohol Provincial Police Office: PO2 Alvin Lopoy, PO2 Marlou Ampoloqio, PO1 Mark Cabusao, PO1 Maryjean Babiro, PO1 Mark Anthony Cagala, PO1 Arseno Daigdigan Jr. and PO1 Raffy Borer.

Those from Siquijor Provincial Police Office were PO2 Alistair Morales and PO1 Cheryl Sumalpong while the one from Lapu-Lapu City Police Office was PO1 Mae Sasing.

From Cebu Provincial Police Office, the officers were PO1 Anthony Abatayo, PO1 Rico Alcas Jr., PO1 John Goyongco, PO1 Michael Campo, PO1 Rudson Tan and PO1 Jorge Paranta Jr.

Two officers come from Cebu City Police Office:, PO1 Ariel Nuñeza and PO1 John Dennis Villamor.

“They have to set it straight na kaning disi-otso kabuok nga ni-take sa examination, sa April 17, 2011. Diri nga na-assign sa PRO-7, nag ranggo na og PO1, PO2, six years na sila. They are not included, in the 387 list nga gihimong invalid sa Napolcom. Mu-take sila og examination April 17, 2011, pero wa na sila sa lista, sa result examination nga gi-invalidate sa Napolcom, wala ni sila,” Cabaral clarified.

The scandal triggered calls for the Napolcom to implement stricter policies when it comes to entrance examinations.