387 police wannabes linked to massive cheating

MANILA, Philippines - Three hundred eighty-seven passers of the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s entrance examination in April 2011 will have to wait at least three years before they can take another shot at entering the police force.

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) yesterday invalidated the results of the test taken by the 387 examinees in Mindanao due to massive cheating.

Napolcom vice chairman and executive officer Eduardo Escueta said the commission conducted an analysis of the answer patterns of all successful examinees of the April 17, 2011 PNP entrance examination based on 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 the same wrong answers,” Escueta said.

He said the examinees’ high percentage of homogeneity of wrong answers is a strong and clear indication of statistical improbability which is regarded as prima facie evidence of the existence of examination irregularity or cheating as provided for under Section 4 of Republic Act 9416, otherwise known as the Anti-Cheating Law of 2007.

Escueta said the invalidation of the exam results is in line with the agency’s commitment to maintain the integrity of the PNP entrance exam.

“In order to maintain the credibility and integrity of the police examinations and to ensure that honesty, integrity and merit and fitness principles are observed as the measure of entry into the police service, the commission is committed to exercise its power and authority by weeding out anyone who undermines the sanctity and integrity of the police examinations,” Escueta said.

“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,” he said.

Escueta warned applicants of the PNP entrance and promotional examinations 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.