One of dismissed cops denies cheating in exam

CABAL

A POLICE officer who was among the 386 cops ordered dismissed from service for allegedly cheating in the entrance examination given by the National Police Commission (Napolcom) was shocked and dismayed by the dismissal order, as he denied having cheated in the exam.

The police non-commissioned officer (PNCO), who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he was confident he passed the exam.

“I am shocked, but I am confident that I really passed that exam without cheating. I’m sure of my answers,” the police officer said.

A PNCO is a policeman who did not enter the service through the Philippine National Police Academy, but is rather a graduate of a four-year program before they can apply with the Napolcom.

The Napolcom ordered the immediate dismissal of the 386 policemen after it found “homogeneous patterns of wrong answers” in the answer sheets of these examinees when they took the Napolcom entrance examination on April 17, 2011.

The patterns of wrong answers were considered to be statistically improbable.

The police officer questioned why the Commission En Banc came up with their decision only after six years.

“We already rendered service for the past six years. Why only now?” he said in Cebuano.

He said he is awaiting a copy of the dismissal order.

“I will lift this all up to God. This is not the end. God knows I did my best in that exam,” he added.

Napolcom resolution

The Commission, in an en banc resolution dated June 14, 2017, approved Napolcom Resolution No. 2012-0261, invalidating the results of the April 17, 2011 PNP entrance examination taken by 386 applicants due to a “statistical improbability of homogeneity of patterns of wrong answers.” In other words, the examinees were found to have cheated the examination.

The resolution was received by the office of PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa on July 28, 2017.

The same resolution directed Dela Rosa to “cause the immediate termination from the service of the examinees” covered by the order.

Disgrace

Some police officials in Cebu said cheating in the entrance examination was a disgrace to the profession.

Senior Supt. Jonathan Cabal, Regional Intelligence Division chief in Central Visayas (RID-7), said that it is just right that these cops who allegedly cheated during the examination should be dismissed.

“Siyempre naman, kung nandaya sila, meron silang liability doon. They should be outrightly dismissed kasi hindi nila na-meet ’yung standard,” Cabal told Cebu Daily News.

(If they cheated, then they should be held liable. They should be dismissed outright because they did not meet the standard to become a police officer.)

Cabal added that a person cannot enter the police service with false or fictitious credentials.

Cabal said that having “homogeneous patterns of wrong answers” is considered as cheating.

“That is considered cheating and there was a leakage. They participated in that directly and knowingly. They are liable for their action,” Cabal said.

If a police officer is caught cheating and submitted dubious papers, Cabal said not only will he be sanctioned administratively, which is dismissal from service, he could face criminal liability.