117 licensed professionals join PNP ranks

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 4, 2021): 117 licensed professionals join PNP ranks (By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)

NEW PNP OFFICERS. A total of 117 licensed professionals take their oath as police officers in Camp Crame on Monday (Oct. 4, 2021). The newly appointed police commissioned officers were formally turned over to the Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrine Development (DHRDD) to undergo the mandatory Officers' Basic Course and Field Training Program before reporting to their respective unit assignments. (Photo courtesy of PNP)

A total of 117 licensed professionals formally took their oath as commissioned officers of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday under the 2021 Lateral Entry Program aimed at recruiting more technical service officers in the service.

During the oath-taking ceremony in Camp Crame on Monday, PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said the newly-inducted officers include four lawyers, three medico-legal officers, one chaplain, and two medical doctors, who were appointed to the initial rank of police captain with a basic monthly salary of PHP56,582 plus allowances.

Also inducted were 107 dentists, psychologists, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, nutritionists, engineers, chemists, forensic criminologists, and information technology officers.

They were appointed to the initial rank of police lieutenant with a basic monthly salary of PHP49,528 with allowances and other cash and non-cash benefits.

"The PNP has gained another batch of professionals and competent police officers as added strength to the workforce of the PNP that will complement to the growing demands of public safety especially in the midst of this ongoing global pandemic," Eleazar said as he administered the oath of office and donning of ranks of the newly commissioned officers.

He also noted that the organization will be expecting effective results from the new officers in the next coming years not only in their respective fields of technical expertise but also as leaders who will be mentoring high standards of morality and professionalism to their colleagues at work.

The newly appointed police commissioned officers were formally turned over to the Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrine Development (DHRDD) to undergo the mandatory Officers' Basic Course and Field Training Program before reporting to their respective unit assignments.

The Lateral Entry Program for technical service officers is among the regular sources of Police Commissioned Officers in the PNP aside from the cadetship program in the PNP Academy.

Last September 16, 241 technical service professionals were inducted into the PNP Officer Corps in similar investiture ceremonies.

Eleazar, meanwhile, said all of the newly-commissioned officers were hired via their faceless recruitment process which is qualification-based and not prone to the old "palakasan" (patronage) system.

"So I can say that all these newly appointed police commissioned officers (are) not only the (most) qualified but the best qualified for the PNP and for the organization," he added.

With this system now in place, Eleazar expects incidents of corruption within the PNP's recruitment system will be further reduced.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1155500