PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a measure regulating the practice of criminology profession in the Philippines.

Duterte's Republic Act 11131 (RA), otherwise known as The Philippine Criminology Profession Act 2018, effectively repeals RA 6506 that created the Board of Examiners for criminologists in the country.

RA 11131 governs the examination, registration and licensure for criminologists; supervision, control, and regulation of the practice of criminology, standardization and regulation of criminology education; development of the professional competence of criminologists; and integration of all criminology progressional groups.

Duterte's new law also creates the Professional Regulatory Board for Criminologists, a collegial body under the administrative supervision and control of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

The board will be composed of a chairperson and four members who will be appointed by the President.

The law mandates the Professional Regulatory Board for Criminologists to administer, supervise, and monitor the conduct of the licensure, examination, registration, membership, and practice of criminology.

The board is also tasked to promulgate and issue rules and regulations, as well as to adopt a Code of Ethics and Code of Good Governance for the practice of criminology.

Under RA 11131, a candidate must obtain a weighted average rating of 75 percent with no grade less than 60 percent in any subject to pass the licensure examination for criminologists.

It is likewise directed to administer oaths of professional criminologists to successful examinees in licensure examinaton for criminologist.

The board can disqualify applicants for the licensure examination who have been "previously convicted of a crime with finality involving moral turpitude."

It is also authorized to issue, suspend, revoke or reinstate the certificate of registration of the registered criminologist or cancel the temporary or special permit granted to a foreign criminologist.

The law also instructs the board to receive complaints, and hear and investigate cases of violations of the newly-signed act.

The Professional Regulatory Board for Criminologists is mandated to prepare and submit to the PRC an annual report of its accomplishments on programs, projects, and activities.

Malacañang on Thursday, November 15, released a copy of RA 11131 signed by Duterte on November 8. (SunStar Philippines)