Lower-ranked cops fare worse than colonels in test

MANILA, Philippines – Doing worse than police colonels, 15,912 lower ranking policemen – from rookies all the way to police majors – flunked the National Police Commission’s (Napolcom) promotional test administered last April.

Of the 17,124 examinees, only 1,212 police officers (from PO1 to PO3), senior police officers (SPO1 to SPO4)), inspectors, senior inspectors, and chief inspectors passed the exams.

Based on Napolcom test results, 734 passed the exams for police officer, 452 of them for senior police officer, 20 for inspector, and six for superintendent.

Napolcom Commissioner Celia Sanidad-Leones said the examinees posted “a very low passing rate” of only seven percent.

Aside from the officers, 21,684 civilians wanting to become policemen also took the Philippine National Police (PNP) entrance examination last April 28.

Of the number, only 3,533 or 16.29 percent passed.

Leones said that overall, 38,808 individuals took the PNP entrance and promotional tests, but only 4,745 or 12.23 percent made it.

The examinations were held in various designated schools in Metro Manila and 24 testing centers nationwide.

Leones said this year’s passing percentage rate in the both the PNP entrance and promotional examinations is lower, compared to that of Oct. 28, 2007 at 21.41 percent.

“The low passing rate in both exams may be attributed to the Commission’s continuous upgrading of standards in its police examinations to professionalize the PNP and ensure that only the best and most qualified individuals are admitted and promoted in the police service,” Leones said.

“The Commission is at the forefront of the campaign for an improved quality of police service, hence, only the cream of the crop can enter the PNP,” she added.

Napolcom Personnel and Administrative Service Director Isidro  Siriban explained that the PNP entrance and promotional tests are divided into several major categories like communicative skills, analysis, job knowledge, and others.

“Most often, the results of the examination reveal they are weak in communicative skills and job knowledge. Communicative skills include reading comprehension and vocabulary. Job knowledge is a big factor,” Siriban told The STAR in an interview.

He also agreed with the suggestion of one police colonel who passed the Police Executive Service Eligibility (PESE) examination last month that members of the PNP are failing the tests because they find it difficult to answer questions on moral development in the police organization.

Siriban said moral development plays an important factor in the tests. – Michael Punongbayan