A total of 21 lawyers and 30 doctors have joined the Philippine National Police (PNP), boosting the organization’s manpower along with 883 more professionals who were recruited as commissioned officers for this year.

Director General Jesus Verzosa, PNP chief, said the total of 934 professionals were commissioned into the PNP Officer Corps under the 2009 Lateral Entry program to fill-up requirements for more Police commissioned Officers in lower units.

"You are the new breed of leaders who shall echo my call to leadership in all levels of command, and it is my honor as your Chief PNP to lead this corps of leaders," Verzosa told the newly-appointed Police Commissioned Officers during the induction ceremony at Camp Crame in Quezon City Monday morning.

The newly inducted Police Commissioned Officers are composed of, 21 lawyers, 20 medical doctors and ten medico-legal officers who were all appointed to the initial rank of Police Senior Inspector (equivalent to captain in the military) with a basic monthly salary of P23,128.00 and subsistence allowance, clothing allowance, quarters allowance, hazard pay, cost of living allowance, and additional compensation.

The rest were appointed to the initial rank of Police Inspector, composed of 801 Line Officers, 18 dentists, five psychologists, eight forensic chemists, 12 forensic criminologists, three dactyloscopy examiners, 12 civil engineers, three geodetic engineers, one Architect, 15 Information Technology Officers, five Communication and Electronics Officers.

They will receive a basic monthly salary of P21,836.00 with other allowances and fringe benefits.

Police Director Abner Cabalquinto, PNP director for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM), said among the 801 Line Officers, mostly licensed criminologists, 721 will be assigned to the Police Regional Offices and 80 to the National Operational Support Units of the PNP, while the rest will be assigned to the Technical Services.

“They will all undergo the mandatory Officers' Basic Course and Field Training Program before reporting to their respective assignments,” said Cabalquinto.

Cabalquinto explained that a total of 1,007 slots for officers are supposed to be filled up this year based on the authorization from the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) under the 2009 Lateral Entry Program.

Only 934, however, qualified for the vacant positions, said Cabalquinto.

The PNP leadership has been recruiting additional personnel to meet the 1 cop: 500 people ratio in terms of security measures, as part of the PNP modernization program.