Applicants use fake height waiver certificates to enter police service

Jun A. Malig

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

Applicants use fake height waiver certificates to enter police service
The National Police Commission is investigating all other applicants after one was found to have forged the signature of Napolcom Region II Director Danilo Pacunana

PAMPANGA, Philippines – Some people would apparently do everything to become police officers, even cheat their way in.

The Central Luzon Office of the National Police Commission (Napolcom) in Camp Olivas here has issued a stern warning to police applicants against using bogus documents in their bid to enter the police service.

The warning was issued after Napolcom discovered that some applicants submitted fake height waiver certificates as part of their documentary requirements to become police officers.

In a statement sent to the media on Thursday, April 22, Napolcom Regional Office III Director Rodolfo Grande Santos Jr said some applicants were found to have submitted fake height waiver certificates. One of them was purportedly issued and signed by Napolcom Region II Director Danilo Pacunana. But when verified, it turned out to be fake and with a forged signature.

“Even the dry seal used in the certificate of height waiver was not the official dry seal of the Napolcom Regional Office II,” Santos said.

The certificate of height waiver is an additional requisite for police applicants if they do not meet the basic 1.62-meter height requirement for males and 1.57-meter for females.

Some applicants also used fake certificates from the National Commission on Indigenous People.

In 2013, the Napolcom allowed the issuance of waivers for police applicants who do not meet the height, weight, and age requirements. This was after the police leadership observed that recruitment quotas were not being filled because many applicants fail to meet the basic physical requirement.

The waiver certificates, however, are supposed to be issued only to applicants who possess exemplary aptitude despite failing to meet the requirements on height, weight (which is not more or less than 5 kilograms), and age (between 21 and 30 years).

Eligible for waivers are those with special skills, including evidence gathering and safekeeping; cyber crime investigation, detection, and prevention; crime scene investigation; martial arts; marksmanship and similar special skills; special talents in the field of sports, music, or arts and culture; extensive experience or training in forensic science and other legal, medical and technical services; and outstanding academic records and extracurricular activities.

In the statement, lawyer Bernardina Joven, Napolcom assistant director and vice chair for Philippine National Police (PNP) recruitment and selection board, said applicants who would be found to have submitted fake documents are criminally and administratively liable for perjury.

She said applicants were made to sign an undertaking stating that their appointment to the PNP will be automatically nullified if any of the documents they submitted will be found to be bogus.

The Napolcom-III said its investigation into fake certificates of waiver is ongoing.

Under the Napolcom guidelines, certificates of waiver on age will be issued only to applicants who are not above 35 years old; for height, waiver applies to males who are not be below 1.57 meter and females who are at least 1.52 meter tall.

Basic requirements to enter police service include Filipino citizenship; having good moral character; passing of psychiatric or psychological, drug, and physical tests; completion of a college degree; possession of civil service professional eligibility or passing the Napolcom entrance examination; must not have been dishonorably discharged from the government; and must not have been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude.

The basic pay of a police officer 1, a rank equivalent to a private first class in the military, is P13,492; for inspector (lieutenant in military), the basic pay is P28,839. – Rappler.com 

 

 

Add a comment

Sort by

There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.

Summarize this article with AI

How does this make you feel?

Loading
Download the Rappler App!