EMPLOYABILITY OF CRIMINOLOGY
GRADUATES OTHER THAN THE
UNIFORMED SERVICE
By: RUBEN A. STA. TERESA Ph.D
GRANDMENSENG HOTEL, DAVAO CITY
PHILIPPINES
September 18, 2010
21st PEACE NATIONAL CONVENTION
PHILIPPINE EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION FOR CRIMINOLOGY EDUCATION
THEME: THE CRIMINOLOGY EDUCATION PROGRAM, ITS ROLE IN THE PHILIPPINES
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
The criminology education was introduced in the Philippines 48 years ago by the late
Justice Angelo Bautista at the then PLARIDEL COLLEGE later named ESCUELA DE
DERECHOS now the famous Philippine College Of Criminology.
The program was implemented by the then Bureau of Higher Education with the rationale
of equipping the future members of the then Philippine Constabulary, later the Philippine
Constabulary/Integrated National Police, now the Philippine National Police in the
application of criminalistics approach to the solution of crime which contributed largely
in modern crime laboratory equipment and technology.
However, the Philippine College of Criminology in consultation with different sectors of
the law enforcement agencies in Manila recommended upgrading the program to a four
year degree of Bachelor of Science in Criminology.
At the time, the program was not known for law enforcement employment as what it is
now as the very lucrative market for police work.
The criminology program gained prominence during the post- martial law era when the
new government of President Corazon Aquino signed into law in 1987 Republic Act 6506
(shelved for 11 years during the Marcos Era), a legacy attributed to the late Congressman
Teodulo Natividad.
The criminology program became lucrative in terms of employment in the Philippine
National Police (PNP), later in the Bureau of Jail Management & Penology (BJMP) and the
Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) during the early 90s when graduates of criminology
program were greatly in demand.
Undocumented statistics reveals that before 1975, it appears only a certain percentage in
the law enforcement agencies were criminology graduates while most of were graduates
in teachers education , commerce, engineering, while many morewere even high school
graduates or with 72 college units.
In the early 90s, the Philippine government upgraded the qualification standards in
hiring members of the Philippine National Police and other public safety agencies where
criminology graduates grew in demand although no written policy was ever implemented
to this effect.
Criminology schools in the country spread like mushrooms in all the 17 regions due to
the demand of employment in the police service. If my memory serves me right, in 1985
when I was appointed a dean there were only 43 criminology schools in the Philippines
compared to about 315 schools operating the criminology program complete with permit
and recognition to operate.
The criminology profession became the major client of the Philippine National Police in
the early 90s until early 2000s. The focus of criminology graduates then is employment
in the police service. From the big cities to the countryside, nine out of ten students in
criminology school anchored their dreams for employment in the police service.
In many instances, those unable to join the Philippine National Police had as their 2nd and
3rd choices employment in the Bureau of Jail Management & Penology (BJMP) or the
Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). There were some who joined the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) but very few joined other government or private instrumentalities.
Republic Act # 8551 otherwise known as the Philippine National Police (PNP)
Modernization Law provides application joining the Philippine National Police must be a
college graduates. Very few noticed the creeping invasion by non-criminology graduates
in joining the police service as stiff competitors in terms of employment considering the
clear intent of the law, that applicants must be college graduates, not criminology
graduates.
The rampant hiring of non-criminology became an issue to many criminology graduates
and licensed criminologists due to the former giving competition to the latter in their
employment not only in the PNP service PNP but in the BJMP and BFP, as well.
In a simple computation, if the national government allocate budget for 100 thousand
policemen throughout the country in one year the competition in the hiring of noncriminology graduates vis-à-vis the criminology graduates would still be there. Just to
allocate the 100 thousand policemen in every town and city throughout the 17 regions
with only 20 to 30 slots per town and city would not be enough for all criminology
graduates. This predicament of our graduates may even affect and impact on our career
guidance and our enrollment will definitely decrease due to the loss of interest of
students to enroll in our respective schools. I repeat, the creeping invasion of the 34
other disciplines in lieu of criminology education in hiring of law enforcement and other
public safety agencies is a problem where they can afford to take a course other than
criminology due to their interest of becoming officers with the ranks of inspector or
higher.
My dear comrades in the criminology profession allow me to show you other alternatives
of employment by our graduates other than the law enforcement service which
information can assist them in their search for employment.
My paper this morning can perhaps contribute to criminology schools across the country
on how to lure graduating high school student inculcating in their minds other
government instrumentalities and private agencies as means of employment other than
in the uniformed service, giving them wider avenue in their professional career.
Showing them employment in different branches of the government and the private
sector is nto by any means undermining the uniformed service. It is but to offer our
graduates better and greater opportunity of employment.
All schools of criminology’s intent is to offer the program not only for quality graduates
to pass the board examination and other government examination, but it is everyones
bounden duty to introduce and guide them to where their destination could possibly end
for employment like other courses with linkages both local and international.
In my personal experience as a dean for the last 27 years, let us face with reality the true
intent of every freshmen student …. These are the initial employments they chose in
taking criminology.
o
o
o
o
o
o
The Philippine National Police
The Bureau of Jail Management & Penology as the 2nd choice
The Bureau of Fire Protection as their
third choice
The Armed Forces of the Philippines as fall back position
Their last option is in the Security industry as security officers, security
guards, private detectives or investigators.
As far as I am concerned, the framers of our laws for the hiring members of law
enforcement and public safety agencies in the country specifically the PNP have failed
to revisit or review the consequences and effect that the other disciplines with
congruencies and related to the profession with effects in terms of skills capability and
basic foundation of the profession.
Setting aside the AFP, and the security industry, and the academic profession, hired
personnel of the PNP, BJMP in the towns and cities are graduates of the following
courses;
AB HISTORY, EDUCATION, CIVIL ENGINEERING. NURSING, HRM, B.S. ACCOUNTING,
AGRICULTURE, MARINE ENGINEERING, AB ENGLISH, B.S PSYCHOLOGY
Let us divert our attention to the other alternatives criminology graduates can join other
than the law enforcement service which are relevant to our profession and our
curriculum, as follows;
THE PAROLE & PROBATION OFFICE (PPO)
THE BUREAU OF CORRECTIONS (BUCOR)
COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS (CHR)
BUREAU OF CUSTOMS (CUSTOMS POLICE)
THE PHILIPPINE DRUG ENFORCEMEN AGENCY (PDEA)
THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (NBI)
These are other government instrumentalities with direct relationship to the criminology
profession and have basic foundation in our curriculum.
We have lots of friends and associates who are criminologists holding key and middle
level positions in these offices across the country.
We can guid our graduates as well in the regular career guidance for high school
students that their profession is not only for the PNP.
Other government instrumentalities where our graduates can find employment are the
following offices;
THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (DFA) (DOCUMENT EXAMINERS AND
INVESTIGATORS)
THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE INVESTIGATION DIVISION (DOF)
THE CENTRAL BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES (SECURITY AND INVESTIGATION
DEPARTMENT) (CBP)
THE IMMIGRATION AND DEPORTATION BUREAU
The INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY ( THE NICA AND MIG)
THE PROVINCIAL JAILS UNDER THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS)
THE MARITIME INDUSTRY AUTHORITHY INVESTIGATORS (MARINA)
LAND TRANSPORTATION OFFICE INVESTIGATORS AND FIELD INSPECTORS/OFFICERS
My dear comrades in the field of criminal justice education, it is now high time for us to
look into these alternatives for our prospective clients after their graduation from high
school. I am convinced no school president will discard this information if it is
incorporated every career guidance activity in the different regions, towns and cities.
We have lots of comrades across the country who are now employed in the
COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
NATIONAL PENITENTIARY ACROSS THE PHILIPPINES
COMMERCIAL AIRLINES GROUND INVESTIGATORS
SHERIFF OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
FOREST OFFICERS/GUARDs OF CENDRO/DENR
MARITIME POLICE
CUSTOMS POLICE
My dear colleagues in the field of criminology education, thousands of graduates we
produce annually in the 17 regions across the country have been marginalized in as far
as their hiring into the uniformed service and limited government funds plus and the
competitions from the 34 other professions who desire to use the law enforcement
agencies as their fall back alternatives in employment. We will face a tidal waves of
resistance in convincing Congress to repeal the provision allowing non-criminology
graduates as qualified for the uniformed service in RA 8551, and banning them from
employment in the uniformed service. Therefore we have to assist our graduates and
incoming prospective customers through orientation that criminology education is not
only for the uniformed service by widest dissemination in our regions and locality during
our career guidance.
Include the prospective government and private agency in your flyers during the career
guidance as great impacts on the parents and freshmen who enter the portals of higher
education.
Our graduates in criminology with or without licenses as long they posses the civil
service eligibility or the NAPOLCOM ELIGIBILITY can be hired in government service. In
the private sector, eligibility is an optional policy in hiring employees.
In the private sector alone, lets take alook at the following agencies where our graduates
are fitted to the professionIN-HOUSE MALL INVESTIGATORS
INTERNATIONAL AIR LINES GROUND OFFICERS AND INVESTIGATORS
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SECURITY OFFICERS AND PLAIN CLOTHES
INVESTIGATORS
PRIVATE COMMERCIAL BANK CREDIT AND LOAN INVESTIGATORS
GENERAL MANAGERS AND DIRECTORS OF PRIVATE SECURITY INDUSTRY
SECURITY CHIEFS AND SUPERVISORS IN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY
I have met lots of criminology graduates who have had sad experiences of failing to join
the uniformed service but are now contented with their employment in the private sector
holding middle level and key positions.
One of them was a student of mine, class of 1988. He is a security officer at the Los
Angeles International Airport (LAX) and I am proud to have heard say and I
quote”Frustrated ako sir na maging pulis however nandito ako as security officer”.
The list of job opportunities for criminology graduates which can be used as our tool in
our career guidance for I am convinced that this is a major weapon of overcoming the
creeping invasion by the 34 other disciplines for employment in the uniformed service
as a fall back career individually.
We can also use it as an information guide to our would be student so that it will give
them more courage to enroll in our program instead of another program. They will be
fully aware and convinced upon reading our flyers that the profession is not only for the
uniformed service.
Maraming salamat po, hasta luego y muy buenas dias.