The National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) recently authorized the recruitment of professionals with highly technical qualifications for lateral entry into the police service.

NAPOLCOM Vice-Chairman and Executive Officer Atty. Rogelio T. Casurao said that the Commission en banc approved Resolution No. 2017-229 dated May 31, 2017 granting the Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) the authority to fill 545 vacancies for the ranks of Police Senior Inspector and Police Inspector under the PNP CY 2017 Lateral Entry Program.

โ€œThe PNP Lateral Entry Program is aimed at strengthening the corps of Technical Service Officers in the police service,โ€ Casurao said.

Out of the 545 vacancies in the various technical services of the PNP, 182 are for Police Senior Inspector (equivalent to Captain in the military) and 363 are for Police Inspector (equivalent to Lieutenant).

The quota distribution for Police Senior Inspector is broken down, as follows: 100 Lawyers, 48 Medical Doctors and 34 Priests, Imams or Pastors.

For the rank of Police Inspector, the PNP needs 85 Registered Nurses, 50 Psychologists, 54 Dentists, 50 Forensic Chemist/Chemical Engineers, 50 Criminologists, 18 Electronics and Communications Engineers, 40 Information Technology specialists, 11 Civil Engineers, three (3) Electrical Engineers and two (2) Architects.

โ€œThe Chief of Office or Unit and the members of the Lateral Entry Board and the Screening and Selection Committee, including the head and members of the Secretariat, who shall fail to strictly observe and comply with the rules and procedures on appointment of police personnel shall be dealt with under existing rules and regulations,โ€ Atty. Casurao said.