A teacher who served as a watcher during the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) in Davao City on Sunday, September 21, 2025, was arrested for allegedly taking a picture of the examination papers.

The suspect was identified as a 29-year-old senior high school teacher.

The Professional Regulation Commission-Davao (PRC-11) filed a complaint, prompting the National Bureau of Investigation-Davao (NBI-11) to launch an operation.

Confiscated from the suspect was a cellphone believed to have been used to take the picture.

“What he did was he brought one set of the test questions went to the restroom. Siguro, doon niya tinake ang pictures nakita ang isang cellphone. Ang ginawa ng building supervisor, tinanong kanino ang cellphone walang umaamin, That's a biometric cellphone, so pina-check niya (building supervisor) kung kanino magma-match, so nag-match sa kanya ang cellphone,” PRC-11 Director, Dr. Raquel Abrantes, said.

“Actually, even us the personnel we are not allowed to leak the TQs (Test Questionnaire) by taking a photograph of that TQ is already a violation. Using a cellular phone is prohibited,” Atty. Kristine Razo of PRC-11 added.

NBI-11 said the suspect allegedly traded the photo with a review center in exchange for P10,000.

“I said why did you do that he admitted that I am short of money. How much does that review center pay you? He said P10,000 pesos, for P10,000, he made everything,” NBI-11 Agent, Vicente Essex Minguez, said.

PRC-11 is determined to press charges against the suspect, stressing that any form of dissemination, reproduction, or distribution of examination papers is illegal.

Violators may face administrative, civil, and criminal charges under the PRC Modernization Act (RA 8981), which carries the penalties of imprisonment, disqualification from taking or supervising examinations, and even revocation of their PRC license.

“We will pursue all necessary legal actions against anyone who undermine this responsibility the PRC message is simple the PRC will not tolerate cheating,” Abrantes said.

PRC-11 said that the suspect reportedly admitted that he had committed the same act in March 2025 but was not caught at that time.

“I was caught in the act for taking the test questionnaire but for personal consumption… to help my friends in the upcoming board exam. I apologize to PRC po. The whole PRC confiscated my phones but got no trace of sending files to another person,” the suspect said.

The agency is now reviewing ways to tighten preventive measures to prevent similar incident in the future.

“Ang worry ko sa kanya baka na sent niya even before natapos ang exam and someone got it and made answer, sa other regions kasi may nakukuhang cellphones na maliliit hindi natin alam eh,” Abrantes added.

Authorities are also looking into the possibility that the suspect had accomplices and are working to identify the review center allegedly involved.