Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 9416)
The main policy is to ensure that honesty, integrity, and the merit and fitness principle are always the measure of entry into the public service, and to declare any form of cheating in civil service examinations unlawful.
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has exclusive jurisdiction to investigate and decide cases of cheating in civil service examinations, including those committed by private individuals.
Cheating refers to any act or omission before, during, or after a civil service examination that undermines the sanctity and integrity of the examination, such as impersonation, use of crib sheets, collusion, possession of fake certificates, and tampering with records.
Examination-related materials include any materials used by the CSC or related agencies in the conduct of examinations, such as computer or electronic program files and data, test questions, answer sheets, and test booklets.
A government employee convicted of cheating will face imprisonment of 6 years and 1 day up to 12 years, a fine of at least 50,000 pesos, dismissal from service, forfeiture of government benefits, cancellation of eligibility, bar from taking any government examination, and perpetual disqualification from government service.
Private individuals found guilty of cheating shall be imprisoned as prescribed and will be disqualified from taking any government examination and from entering government service.
A review center refers to entities formally or informally established to provide tutorial programs or review classes aiming to prepare individuals for civil service and related examinations, sometimes with assurances of passing.
Statistically improbable results declared by the CSC shall be considered prima facie evidence of examination irregularities or cheating.
Yes, the CSC can grant immunity to any person whose testimony leads to the prosecution or conviction of others involved in examination irregularities, exempting them from administrative and criminal prosecution.
Government employees shall be dismissed from service for serious dishonesty and grave misconduct with accessory penalties, while nongovernment employees shall be perpetually barred from entering government service and from taking government examinations.