Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 11131)
The official title is "The Philippine Criminology Profession Act of 2018."
The Act governs the examination, registration and licensure for criminologists; the supervision, control and regulation of the practice of criminology; the standardization and regulation of criminology education; the development of professional competence through Continuing Professional Development (CPD); and the integration of all criminology professional groups into an accredited professional organization.
The Professional Regulatory Board for Criminologists was created under RA 11131 and is composed of a Chairperson and four members appointed by the President of the Philippines from a list of three nominees for each position endorsed by the Accredited Professional Organization (APO).
Must be a natural-born Filipino citizen and resident of the Philippines; of good moral character; not convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude; a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Criminology with a post-graduate degree or a lawyer; a registered criminologist with at least 10 years of practice and 2 years teaching experience; a member in good standing of the APO but not an officer; and not affiliated with any criminology school or review center.
Registered criminologists may act as law enforcement administrators, educators in criminology subjects, forensic specialists, correctional administrators, counselors or advisers, and private investigators among other roles in government or private agencies performing crime prevention, investigation, and law enforcement functions.
A fine ranging from One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) to Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00), imprisonment from two (2) years and one (1) day to six (6) years, or both, at the court's discretion shall be imposed on unauthorized practice, use of fraudulent documents, abetting illegal practice, or impersonation.
Subjects and weights: (a) Criminal Jurisprudence and Procedure - 20%, (b) Law Enforcement Administration - 20%, (c) Crime Detection and Investigation - 15%, (d) Criminalistics - 20%, (e) Correctional Administration - 10%, and (f) Criminal Sociology - 15%.
Applicants must be Filipino citizens or foreigners with reciprocal practice rights; must be of good moral character and sound mind and body; hold a Bachelor's degree in Criminology duly accredited by CHED; must not have been convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude; and those who have failed five times must complete a refresher course.
The examinee's result shall be deferred and required to retake the subject(s). The deferred examinee may retake the subject once within two years and must score at least 80% to be considered passed; failure to do so requires retaking all board subjects.
They are exempted from other entrance or qualifying government or civil service exams and are eligible for various government positions related to police, law enforcement, security, corrections, and public safety. They also enjoy priority of appointment in government criminal justice and other institutions without further qualifying examinations.