13 policemen axed, 350 investigated

FOR CHEATING IN ENTRANCE EXAM

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has sacked 13 rookie policemen and placed more than 350 others under investigation for their involvement in massive cheating during the April 17, 2011 police entrance examination given by the National Police Commission ( Napolcom).

The Napolcom Board ordered the

termination of the 13 policemen, after they were found guilty of dishonesty. The examinees were found to have “the same wrong answers.”

The rookie policemen passed the same admission test whose results have been invalidated by the Napolcom through Resolution No. 2012-261 due to the statistical improbability of all the examinees having the same correct and wrong answers.

“All of the respondents were given due process, they were notified of the complaint against them, they executed affidavits and attended the hearing but the termination board found them guilty of the culpable violations of dishonesty,” Chief Supt. Napoleon Estilles, Region 9 police director, said.

On Sunday, Estilles identified the 13 as PO1s Djona Ansing Genorosa, Felix Josephius Pascual, Arian Lloyd Cayacap Luchana, April Rose Alvendar Denopol, Grege Montallana Lagare, Ralph Shemuel Daya Supnet, Daniel Audy Dayap Talpis, Al-Najib Hadjula Ujaji, Fermuzaina Umda, Joel Espina Aliser, Jilhani Mohaimen Dalongenes, Nohasim Yusop Sakilin and Raymond Gravino Sumonglay.

Because of the case, the eligibility of the respondents who were already appointed to the police service was revoked as recommended in the dismissal decision by the command.

According Estilles, there were sufficient evidence to prove that the 13 police officers intentionally committed dishonesty, which was tantamount to fraud and deception and a clear violation of the code of conduct and discipline of the PNP.

In their counter-affidavits, all of the accused denied any involvement in the massive cheating as determined by Napolcom.

They claimed that it was impossible for them to cheat during the conduct of the examination because there were two proctors supervising the exam in every room.

However, Estilles said that the accused were not able to justify the homogeneity of the results of the wrong answers.

He added that the findings of the Napolcom termination board indicated that the examinees’ high percentage of similar wrong answers was a strong and clear indication of statistical improbability, which is regarded as a strong prima

facie evidence of the existence of examination irregularity or form of cheating as provided for in Section 4 of Republic Act No. 9416 of the PNP Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998.

Estilles explained that the Napolcom, being the agency tasked to conduct qualifying entrance examinations for police aspirants, has the power and authority to weed out anyone who undermines the sanctity and integrity of the police examinations.

“I have recommended to the Termination Board to act on this matter and they have conducted a lawful termination procedure which is a consequence that those dishonest policemen should face,” Estilles said.

The Napolcom invalidated the examination results of the 387 examinees last October based on the result of an analysis of the answer patterns of all exam pas- sers following reports of massive cheating in some testing centers in Mindanao.

“After analyzing the answer patterns, the commission found that 387 examinees were found to have a high percentage, ranging from 50 percent to 100 percent, of homogenous wrong answers,” said Executive Officer Eduardo Escueta, Napolcom vice chairman.

“The 387 examinees shall be barred from taking the PNP Entrance Examination for a period of three years pursuant to the provisions of Napolcom Memorandum Circular No. 2000-007, which prescribes the sanctions in case of cheating, collusion, misrepresentation, substitution or any anomalous acts in connection with the administration of police examinations conducted by the Commission,” Escueta added.

He warned police applicants not to commit any form of examination irregularity, such as cheating, impersonation, perjury or violation of examination rules, since the Napolcom has a computer system that keeps track of the answer patterns of examinees.