House bill seeks to let PNP hire technical experts to boost capabilities
PNP Headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. (Photo from the PNP Facebook page)
MANILA, Philippines — Three lawmakers have filed House Bill (HB) No. 7686 that would allow the Philippine National Police (PNP) to recruit experts from technical fields that will strengthen its law enforcement capabilities.
The bill was filed last March 22 by Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, Benguet Rep. Eric Yap, and ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Edvic Yap. As of now, it’s with the House Committee on Public Order and Safety.
“The hiring of professionals with highly technical qualifications, which will be done through the PNP’s lateral entry program, will significantly help the police organization keep people safe from crime and other threats to public safety at a time when criminals have turned to technology and other sophisticated means to commit their illegal acts,” Duterte said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Through the said proposed measure, more professionals will be recruited to the PNP service, in hopes of strengthening the PNP’s human resource and technical capabilities in serving the people and addressing the various challenges in the institution’s campaign against criminality, illegal drugs, violent extremism, lawlessness, terrorism, natural manmade disasters, among others,” the statement added.
The bill specifies the following experts that could be included in the PNP lateral entry program:
- aeronautical engineers
- chemical engineers
- computer engineers
- chemists
- civil engineers
- criminologists
- dentists
- electrical engineers
- electronics engineers
- molecular biologists
- naval architects
- nuclear physicists
The bill authors also want professionals in the field of guidance and counseling, sports medicine, veterinary medicine, mechanical engineers, medical technologists, metallurgical engineers, nurses, nutritionists and dieticians, optometrists, physical therapists, psychologists, psychometricians, social workers, IT professionals, and forensic science graduates.
The technical experts could be admitted to the PNP provided that they have the appropriate Professional Regulation Commission license or Civil Service Professional eligibility.
The bill will also amend the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990 (Republic Act No. 6975) so that the initial rank of PNP Academy graduates would be police lieutenant, instead of the current police inspector. The same rank will be applied to those who get into the PNP through the lateral entry program.
“This amendment to the law will give Police Non-Commissioned Officers (PNCOs) and Non-Uniformed Personnel (NUP) who are already in the service for at least five years and have obtained their PRC and CSP eligibility the opportunity to be appointed to the higher rank of Police Lieutenant,” the statement said
“Under the bill, the PNCO should at least hold the rank of Police Staff Sergeant, and the NUP in a position with Salary Grade 14, to be able to qualify for the appointment.”
